Musical Interpretations from the Land of the Rising Sun – Concert

Composers of Otoemaki: Musical Interpretations from the Land of the Rising Sun

31 August 2025 (Sunday), 5:00 PM – Concert at Villa Decius

We invite you to a unique concert inspired by Polish poetry and Japanese musical tradition. Within the magical interiors of Villa Decius, Polish and Japanese cultures meet through the work of composers from Japan’s Otoemaki Association. The program features modern arrangements based on texts by Adam Mickiewicz and Wisława Szymborska, alongside traditional folk songs from Japan’s Land of the Rising Sun.

Free tickets: [CLICK HERE]


Performers

• Marie Kobayashi – mezzo-soprano
• Kiyomi Yamamaoto – piano
• Yunosuke Yamamoto – cello
• Kyoko Koyama – piano

Program
Stepy akermańskie (Adam Mickiewicz) – composition by Atsuko Kokubo
Nambuushioiuta – Japanese folk song from Iwate Prefecture, arranged by Michio Mamiya
Suite: Traces of Dreams. A Tribute to Naoko Kanan – composition by Kaoru Sato
Fantasia – Three Pieces Based on Polish Folk Tales – composition by Yuko Yasue
Kokiriko – traditional folk song from Toyama Prefecture, arranged by Michio Mamiya
Three Strangest Words – composition by Junnosuke Yamamoto
Shakushiuriuta – folk song from Akita Prefecture, arranged by Michio Mamiya

Featured Composers and Their Works
Atsuko Kokubo – Stepy akermańskie (Adam Mickiewicz)
“I hesitated whether to set a song to the poetry of Adam Mickiewicz, whose themes of national identity and freedom continue to influence global art and culture. Yet, given the musical intonation of ‘Stepy akermańskie’ read by Aleksander Cząstkiewicz, the late husband of Marie Kobayashi, who performs the text today, I realized I wanted to express the joy and ecstasy of rendering that poem into music. With the help of Ms. Kobayashi and her friends, I created the current musical setting—and remain deeply grateful for their patience and invaluable feedback on the Polish lyrics. My thanks also go to Kiyomi for graciously accepting the piano part, as well as to all those who helped.”
Atsuko Kokubo studied composition with Akira Kitamura and orchestration with Akira Ifukube. A graduate of Tokyo College of Music, she crafts new pieces each year for Otoemaki (since their inaugural concert in 2016). She performed in Strasbourg in 2023 and remains an active member of both Otoemaki and the Japan Composers’ Association.

Kaoru Sato – Suite: Traces of Dreams. A Tribute to Naoko Kanan
Inspired by the beautiful paintings of the late Japanese artist Naoko Kanan (d. 2012), Kaoru Sato composed five short pieces, each reflecting images like:

Lotus Flower in the Night
A Dream in the Sink
A Deep Forest on My Hand
Dance of the Moon
The Dragon’s Palace
Sato studied at the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music. Since 2014, she has been an Otoemaki member, regularly premiering new works with support from the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Yuko Yasue – Fantasia: Three Pieces Based on Polish Folk Tales

The Goose – tells of a girl cursed into a goose; cello echoes her sorrowful cries.
The Fearless Spirit – a young man confronts a cursed spirit in a haunted castle and defeats it.
How Suzanka Became the Godmother – a kind girl helps a water spirit and attends a naming ceremony in his realm, with polonaise rhythms echoing Moniuszko’s music.
A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts, Yasue’s works include Treasure – Chuya’s World I, Polka After the Rain, and Field Poems. She composes music for children's ensembles and advertisements and has presented chamber music and songs since 2002. She serves as Otoemaki’s Secretary-General and is active in Japan’s composer community.

Junnosuke Yamamoto – Three Strangest Words
“I gave this mysterious poem not just musical character but also movement. It offers a sense of transcendence and spiritual sound, as if invoked by a religious ritual. The poem, with its surprise touch of irony, invites sympathy across nations and ethnicities. I was drawn to verses expressing ‘Ma’—a spiritual space within Japanese dialogues and forms of tanka and waka poetry.”
Based on Wisława Szymborska’s poem (Three Strangest Words) from View with a Grain of Sand (1996).
Junnosuke Yamamoto earned a master’s in composition at Tokyo University of the Arts and continued studies in Berlin through an Agency for Cultural Affairs exchange. His works include Absolute Musik für Klavier 1–4 and Symphony No. 4: Ganjin Jakujoh on the 1250th Anniversary. A former lecturer at Chiba University, he holds leadership positions in music research foundations and composer associations.

Michio Mamiya – Folk Song Arrangements

Nambuushioiuta – the tale of a cow floated by river from village to city over three days; “Hai, Papa” calls the cow to stay on the raft.
Kokiriko – a rice-harvest thanksgiving dance song.
Shakushiuriuta – the song of a rice trader floating his wares in wooden boats.