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Mr Potsunen’s Peculiar Slice of Life by Kentaro Kobayashi

5-8 July 2017  Print Room Coronet , Notting Hill Gate, London.

Mr Potsunen’s Peculiar Slice of Life is a stage show by the award-winning performing artist from Tokyo, Kentaro Kobayashi, who portrays the mysterious ‘Mr Potsunen’. Featuring his original animations and manga-style drawings as a part of the scenic design, he invites the audience to his picturesque world where one-man show, art and magic are carefully merged together to form an act of humour and grace.info.   Press Release 29 June- 1st July  Maison de la Culture du Japon , Paris  info Noh Reimagined – The contemporary art of classical Japanese theatre

13,14th May 2016 Kings Place, London

Noh is a total art form comprising drama, music and dance. Originating in Japan in the 14th century, it is one of the oldest unbroken performance traditions in the world. This two-day festival explores the art of Noh, in particular its aesthetic concepts and uniquemusical rhythms and tempos, which continue to inspire artists across diverse art forms.

Some of the finest Noh performers from Japan will present selections from classical Noh masterpieces such as Takasago and Toru. Master Shiteactor-performer, Yoshimasa Kanze, will dance to Noh percussion instruments punctuated by the space, voice and haunting pitches of the nohkan (flute) played by Yukihiro Isso.

The festival will transform Kings Place into another world.

Noh Reimagined in Kings Place What’s On April-August 2016

For more details and booking click here.

Tickets £7 / £5


Yukihiro Isso with Roger Turner & Takinojo Mochizuki & John Edwards

( and celebration of album launch)at Cafe Oto 4th February 2016. For booking and info here

Noh Project UK 2016 starts 10 August.

This year, it is linked with Sound and Music’s Portfolio Programme to develop new compositions by two emerging English composers in partnership with mu:arts.


Kachimba 4 from Okinawa is selected for off WOMEX showcase artist!
Budapest, Hungary  21-25 October 2015 Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra at Torino Jazz Festival   31st  May , 21:00 Piazza San Carlo Kentaro Kobayashi: Mr Potsunen’s Peculiar Slice of Life  (UK Premiere)

3 & 4 February 2015 Leicester Square Theatre, London

Tokyo’s most creative comedy artist is coming to London!

Utterly artistic, unique and quirky! Mr Potsunen pops out from a funny and adventurous dream.

Kentaro’s theatrical works have been so popular in Japan that hopeful audience members have to draw lots to win the right to buy a ticket! Kentaro has gained fame from a short film series “The Japanese Tradition ” which has become an internet phenomenon, one of which “ Shazai ” was the official selection for short film competition at Berlin Film Festival in 2007. This will be the first chance for a UK audience to see him perform live on stage! Culturescapes and mu:arts present     AKI&KUNIKO Swiss tour  30 October – 7th November 10/30（Thu） Bird’s Eye Club(Basel)

11/1 （Sat） Im Rathaus um 4 (Thun)

11/4 （Tue） Teatro Sociale (Bellinzona)

11/6 （Thu） Kulturpunkt (Flawil)

11/7 （Fri） ADEM (Geneve)

more details on Culturescapes web page

mu:arts coordinates

Music from Okinawa at WOMEX 14  in SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA  22-26 October

11am -Thu 23 October – Asia Pacific Networking  meeting

16:30 – 18:00 Firday 24 October – Music Reception  featuring SAKISHIMA MEETING

stand no  140-141


Hiroaki Takenouchi at Classical Next 14 official live showcase 14-17 May 2014

Japan-Siwss 2014 Project 1

Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono concerts at Museum Ethnography   6,7th February 2014

Musée d’ethnographie, Rue Saint-Nicolas 4, CH-2000 Neuchâtel Hiroaki Takenouchi (piano) New Music Sunday Concert series at Kettle’s Yard ,2nd March 2014

Luigi Dallapiccola: Quaderno musicale di Annalibera (14’)
Jeremy Dale Roberts: Oggetti: omaggio a Morandi (20’)
John Hopkins: Disjunct Variations (12’)
Edwin Roxburgh: Studies (16’)
Niccolò Castiglioni: Come io passo l’estate (9’)     More information mu:arts will participate in WOMEX 2013, Cardiff. (23-27 October 2013)

Also we will support music from Okinawa ( stand No 173)

Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono  encounter  Van Gogh  15th September at

Festival Il de France


2nd Edition of Japan Music Fest at Parco della Musica, Rome  22nd, 23rd July 2013 feautring Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra, and Aki&Kuniko.

Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono Germany, Belgium, Holland  and

festival mawazine, Morocco tour 8 ~ 28 May 2013

8th May   Köln
10th May   Detmold
11th May   Brüssel
13th May   Bergkamen
14th May   Hamm  & WDR radio recording
15th May   Düsseldorf
16th May   Wuppertal
18th May   Leiden/ NL
19th May   Nijmegen
21th May   Hagen
22th May   Herne
23th May   Remscheid
24th May   Gelsenkirchen
25th May   Bonn
26th May   Sankt AugustinIMAGE
In collaboration with  alba kultur

28th May   Festival Mawazine, Morocco Rabat -dedicated to Silk Road theme.

Mieko Miyazaki ( koto)concert with Orchestra of the Swan 31 May. More info

Alnwick Garden, Sakura Festival 13 April~ 27 April 2013

mu:arts co-programmes the 3 -weeks festival with Alnwick Garden.

Shunsuken Kimura & Etsuro Ono invited to perform at WOMADelaide 8~11 March  and WOMAD New Zealand 15~17 March 2013.

8th    Performance WOMADelaide & ABC Radio recording

9th    Taste the World ( Kimura & Ono introduces recipe from Norh East Japan) WOMADelaide

10th   Performance WOMADelaide

11th    Workshop WOMADelaide

15th   Workshop  WOMAD NZ

16th   Performance & Taste the World  WOMAD NZ

Routan Nichi-nichi Shmbun, a local paper in Kyoto prefecture features about Big Dance project. (12 May)

Click here (Japanese only)

29th August

London Bon Dancers workshop at Horniman Museum

7th August

London Bon Dancers invited to globalfest2012,  one of the most exciting culnary events in London.



Bu U and London Bon Dancers perform for Japan Festival

Marewrew and Oki at WOMAD Charlton Park 2012

mu:arts summer events 2012

MAREWREW debut at  WOMAD Charlton Park, 29 July 2012

and internationally renowned Tonkori player OKI will join Marewrew.

Japan Festival  2012 25 July, London (UK)

Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono summer 2012 tour schedule

5th & 6th July, Forde (Norway) Forde World Music Festival

8 July, Zurich (Switzerland) Museum Rietberg
11 July, Rome (Italy) Auditorium Parco della Musica
12 July, Hannover (Germany) Masala World Music Festival

13  July, Arles (France) Les Suds à Arles

Japanese Music Festival at Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome 11th-12th July 2012

mu:arts joins production of the first Japanese music festival in Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, the most significant arts centre in Italy, designed by Renzo Piano.

About the venue

Wednesday  11th July

Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono

Thursday 12th  July

TsuguKaji KOTO

Japanese music festival at  Museum Rietberg 7th – 8th July 2012

mu:arts curates a Japanese music festival in collaboration with Museum Rietberg, Zurich, Switzerland.

The Museum Rietberg Zurich is the only art museum for non-European art in Switzerland exhibiting an internationally renowned collection of art from Asia, Africa and Ancient America. The Museum Rietberg will host a Japan Festival on the 7th and 8th July 2012. The festival is linked  to the special exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints from the collection of Honolulu Museum of Art, “The Beauty of the Moment” (7 July – 14 October 2012).

History of the museum

Saturday 7th July (Tanabata)

– Flying Zoo: Sizzle Ohtaka (vocal), Miwazo (chindon), Yoshiaki Sato (accordion), and Yuji Tsunemi (oud)

– Kumiko Suzuki Taiko group

Sunday 8th July

– Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono

– Sizzle Ohtaka


– Grand Finale

Kumiko Suzuki ( taiko)  Sat 23rd June at 3:30pm

Somerset house performance as part of Kokoro exhibition

Bon Dance Workshops & Performance June 2012 Bon Dance is a very popular community dance for everyone. It originated in Japan and has more than 400 years of history. As part of Big Dance 2012 , London Bon Dancers, a London-based Bon Dance group will offer workshops for older people in the Borough of Islington, London.

Dates: Fridays 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 June
Place: Peel Centre, Peel Circus, London WC1X 9EY
event details here

This project is generously supported by Big Dance Micro Grant and Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation. mu:arts joins Big Dance 2012

Big Dance 2012 will be the UK’s biggest celebration of dance. Thousands of  event will take place between 18th May to 15th July in all sorts of locations, in all sorts of dance styles!

Bu U [bu yu:] 舞遊 on Big Dance Bus

Sunday 27 May, White Lion Street, Islington

Big Dance is the UK’s biggest celebration of dance and dancing, and a highlight of London 2012 Festival, showcasing the diversity of dance styles and cultural attractions. It is featuring thousands of events, including workshops, performances, flashmobs, world record attempts and dancing in unusual spaces. BuU is a new dance group formed with London based young talented Japanese dancers with Ayaka Furukawa, Yasuna Higuma, Ryota Kodera, Hiromi Satoh, and Yuki Kizawa.
They will present an exciting new choreography inspired by Hanagasa Ondo, a popular folk dance from Tohoku, Japan, spiced with contemporary dance twist.

Meet BuU on Big Dance Bus and enjoy the unmissable experience!

Date: Sunday 27th May 2012, 13:20
Place: White Lion Street, London N1 9PW. See google map.
Open to public

WOMEX 2011


Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono showcase at WOMEX 2011 ( Copenhagen, Denmark)


Opera North Twilight Concert “Love in the time of Genji”
Howard Aseembly Room   Sat 17 September at 5:45pm

‘Is my lord aware
Of an agitated heart
Unsteady as the rope
Slackened when our vessels halts
Charmed by the sound of a koto?’

(The Tale of Genji)

Musicians Melissa Holding and Clive Bell bring classical Japanese music to life in a free early evening concert using traditional Japanese instruments. A 13-stringed koto and a shakuhachi flute feature in music that evokes the long lost Heian-era of 11th century Japan.

This twilight concert includes short extracts from The Tale of Genji, a vividly written Japanese court epic by noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, sometimes considered to be the world’s first novel. Written shortly after the year 1000, the book centres on the romantic adventures of its hero, Genji, the son of the Emperor and his favourite concubine, revealing the life of the Japanese court a thousand years ago.

Love in the Time of Genji is a free event programmed to accompany Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which opens on the Opera North mainstage later on the same evening.

With readings from The Tale of Genji by Yuka Oeda. Yuka is a Teaching Fellow in Japanese at the University of Leeds.

Opera North in Association with  mu:arts

FMM Festival 2011
 Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono (Japan), 18:45, Castle
The Tsugaru-shamisen is a string instrument with a special place in the culture of Japan. Kimura and Ono play it with the imagination of jazz and the energy of rock.

FMM Sines – Festival Músicas do Mundo is a music festival held every July in Sines, Alentejo, Portugal.

Organised by the local City Council, it’s a public service, non-commercial, event designed for an audience of music discoverers, who come to Sines for the quality of the programme, the spectacular venues and a spirit regarded as unique among Portugal’s summer festivals.

It is the biggest world music event in the country.


WOMAD 2011

Shunsuke Kimura x Etsuro Ono will perform at WOMAD ( Charlton-Park, Wiltshire) 30, 31 July


Folk Music Japan – A celebration for Tohoku  Monday 1 August 2011, 7pm

Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS

Admission £5 (£2 of each ticket will go to a charity for Tohoku disaster relief)

The moving, masterful DUO (Shunsuke Kimura and Etsuro Ono), fresh from their performance at WOMAD, play Tsugaru shamisen and shinobue flute. Ono-san and his family live near Sendai in the heart of the disaster area.

DUO are preceded by a set of song and dance from Tohoku. The ensemble is led by Yoshihiro Endo (shakuhachi) and Yoshie Asano-Campbell (vocal & dance).

More info and booking  https://store.soas.ac.uk/browse/product.asp?catid=77&modid=1&compid=1

Haiku Kamishibai Workshop (Illustrated Haiku Poetry) as part of Islington Exhibits  Sat 16th July

Presented by Helen McCarthy and mu:arts.

Download Kamishibai flyer 1 2 This workshop will approach traditional Japanese poetry in a new way – using the Japanese storytelling technique of kamishibai (paper theatre).Kamishibai means “Paper Theatre” and kamishibai performers use pictures to illustrate the stories they tell. In this workshop, we will use pictures to inspire and focus our ideas for making haiku, short poems of just three lines.Helen will share a selection of the haiku she has been writing for over 20 years, including those inspired by the natural landscape of her home in East London and by the recent natural disasters in Japan. Using these existing poems, she will demonstrate the technique of linking pictures together to inspire a poem. Anyone taking part can also make their own pictures to inspire or illustrate their own work.There are two ways to present haiku kamishibai – using the kamishibai purely as a basis for the poem, or presenting the poem through both images and words. By the end of the session, everyone taking part will be able to make and perform their own verbal or visual poetry. Helen McCarthy http://tinyurl.com/HMcCblog Follow tweetheart4711 on Twitter for haiku, Japan and random oddity mu:arts –music and arts from Japan.

Fantasie Orientale – Music from Britain and Japan: A cultural exchange  Friday 8th July at 7pm

Come and join the evening of music inspired by cultural interactions between Britain and Japan. The “Japanese Village” in Knightsbridge was the first showcase of Japanese culture in London.  In search of a juxtaposition of sound – what were the composers’ perception of the “other” culture?

Regent Hall   275 Oxford Street, London W1C 2DJ

With Children for Children


Spend a day watching performances, take part in workshops and learn all things Japanese to raise money for those affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan.

All of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated through the Japan Society to help people in the affected areas recover from the devasting effects of the earthquake and tsunami.
Unicorn Theatre, London  11am-4pm Sun 19th June

Geoffrey Museum Open Evening: Japanese Home Cooking Demonstration, Workshop and Tasting as part of “At Home in Japan” – Wednesday 18 May

An evening inspired by our special exhibition will include a curator-led talk and a demonstration about Japanese food and customs. You will also have an opportunity to create your own bento box and make onigiri (rice balls). For more information, see our event page.

Play for Japan – Charity event at McQueen – Tuesday 26 April

8pm  Naomi Suzuki Show

9:30 pm  Kumiko Suzuki (Taiko Drum) Hibiki – Resonances from Japan – 3-5 March 2011

“the week was truly outstanding and a highlight of our programming year”

Peter Millican, CEO Kings Place


Kings Place welcomes acclaimed artists: Mayumi Miyata (sho), Michiyo Yagi (koto) and the Kimura & Ono DUO (tsugaru-shamisen, fue). Hear them play rare classical pieces and modern contemporary eastern and western music. This series of concerts promises to deliver unique boundary pushing experiences in reflecting Japan’s own rich musical heritage and fast-moving modern culture.

Come and hear the sound of instruments you don’t get a chance to hear in the West played by virtuosos. This unique programme features (amongst other things) first time collaborations between renowned artists from Japan, legendary British saxophonist Evan Parker, the London Sinfonietta and music by Nick Drake played on the koto and John Cage played on the shō.

Day one – 3 March

Our 1000-year journey begins on Thursday 3 March with Mayumi Miyata and Shō: Sound of Eternity. Presenting traditional Gagaku pieces and contemporary works for shō, one of the oldest instruments in the world. Miyata is one of the world’s most accomplished players, not only in traditional Japanese forms but in Western avant garde and popular music. The sound inspired western composers such as Stockhausen, Brian Eno, Björk and John Cage, withCage dedicating many pieces to Mayumi Miyata

Miyata presents an ancient traditional Gagaku piece as well as contemporary piece by Toru Takemitsu and by John Cage with London Sinfonietta. There will also be a pre-concert talk at 6pm with Mayumi Miyata. Day two – 4 March

Tsugaru-Shamisen bring the Sheer Wind from The Northwith the Kimura & Ono DUO

The dynamically powerful, yet soulful and sensitive sound of the tsugaru-shamisen has the ability to fascinate people from around the world. Kimura Shunsuke & Etsuro Ono are both powerful innovators and virtuosos of the three string lute,tsugaru-shamisen. Requiring a highly accomplished technique for speedy playing, a refined sense of dynamic rhythm and creativity for improvisation, like jazz music.

The duo travelled to every corner of Japan assimilating the various melodies, rhythms and styles of folk and traditional festival music. They have taken their dynamic semi-improvised style from Tsugaru region in new contemporary directions, presenting both traditional pieces and new materials fusing original folk sound with the soul and blues rhythms of the West. Pre-Concert Talk: 6pm by Shunsuke Kimura at St Pancras Room.

Day three – 5 March

A rare opportunity to see a complete concert with Michiyo Yagi and legendary improvisor Evan Parker.Having collaborated with John Zorn, Jim O’Rourke, Mark Dresser and Keiji Haino, Yagi is one of the most adventurous and eclectic koto performers who continuously challenges conventions. This program will reveal how Yagi’s exploratory nature is a natural extension of the more avant garde elements found in traditional koto music. Music in Manga sees eminent comic historian Paul Gravett examining the influence that traditional Japanese music has had over popular culture.

Meanwhile the London-based fusion group i.Ro.Ha, named after the Japanese alphabet give us with their own modern take on Japanese musical folklore.

Creative Music Workshops – Open to all

Hibiki – The secret sounds of Gillespie Park – starting Saturday 26th February from 12pm-4pm

The music festival at Kings Place 3-5 March, HIBIKI – Resonances from Japan, is coming to Gillespie Park in North London for a full week of creative music workshops and an opportunity to create a new piece for the last day of the Festival at Kings Place, King’s Cross, on Saturday 5th March.

Kumiko Shuto (Satsuma Biwa) Europe Tour 3-6 February 2011

4 Feb  Zuiderpershuis, Antwerp, Belgian
5 Feb Tropentheater, Amsterdam, Holland
6 Feb Rasa Utrecht, Holland
Rasa website
 
WOMAD Charlton Park

London Bon Dancers and London Bon Musician 
Rainforest World Music Festival, Borneo Malaysia
Kimura & Ono DUO


Nihon Buyo ( Japanese Classical Dance) Lecure & Demonstration by Senzo Nishikawa X, Living National Treasure
Kings Palce, London / Kaetsu Centre, Cambridge
View the Flyer

September –October 2009

Tsuruga Wakasanojo“Living National Treasutre”, Shinnai Joruri
performances and workshops in 4 countries, 10 cities have completed with a great success.

25 September, at Chester Beatty Library (Dublin), as part of their “Cultural Night”, Tsuruga Wakasanojo was headlined on RTE prime time news!

19 September London Bon Dancers at Spitalfiled “Matsuri” Festival
London Bon Dancers performed and gave workshops leading to big carnival procession at Spital Field Matsuri Festival.

23 September Taro Hakase “SOLD OUT” Recital at Cadogan Hall

June 2009 Takeichiro HIRAI (Violin), Motoki Hirai (piano) EU tour

8 June Wigmore Hall (London, UK)
Wigmore Hall concert was supported by The Japanese Embassy in UK, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Exlayer, ANA, Mitsui Corp, and Mikimoto.
Official UK-Japan 150 event

11 June Japanese Embassy in Denmark (Copenhagen, Denmark)
14 June Pau (Pablo) Casals Auditorium / Pau Casals Museum (Catalonia, Spain）
16 June Casa Armatei Hall (Gun Kai Kan) Romania (as part of Japan- Danube Year )
20 June la Maison de la culture du Japon (as part of “National Music Day”)

This tour was supported by Japan Foundation 31 May 2009
Japanese Garden Party at Hammersmith Park
Mu:arts featured London Bon Dancers, Domon Hideaki (guitar) +Saru (vocal), and Kamishibai performance by Derek Carpenter. Buddhist Monk Chant (Shomyo) Shichiseikai EU Tour
– Official Japan-Danube Year project

2 April Zuiderpershuis, Antwerp, Belgian
3 April Tropentheater, Amsterdam, Holland
4 April Rasa Utrecht, Holland
5 April Osterfestival Tirol, Austria
8 April Imago Dei Festival, Austria

This tour was supported by Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan “Composition 8”. Images kindly reproduced with permission of British painter, Pip Dickens.