JS-ENCORE is a new bi-weekly series of traditional and contemporary Japanese performances curated by Japan Society's Artistic Director SHIOYA Yoko. Enjoy unique shamisen performances from master HONJOH Hidetaro and Okinawan duo SAKISHIMA meeting, online now through May 1.
Shamisen master HONJOH Hidetaro offers a traditional-style concert featuring works from the hauta repertoire, the quintessential "pop music" of its time. Let this virtuoso of Edo-period love songs gently serenade and transport you to the streets of pre-modern Tokyo. The program also includes tunes from the working class of various rural areas that radiate a tender, à la mode vibe. Awarded Japan's highest honor for artists, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, Hidetaro restores gems from this fading genre of music from the end of the samurai era. He is joined by HONJOH Hidejiro on shamisen and kokyu, and KUROSAWA Yumi on koto.
