About Us

Together with friends who love jazz in Miyazaki, I have founded the Miyazaki Jazz Organization. I want to share the joy and fun of jazz, a symbol of freedom, with as many people as possible in Miyazaki, the place I love.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "jazz"? I'm told many people think of it as difficult or hard to approach. I used to feel the same way.

I started out in classical music, but I was drawn to the possibilities of jazz. After teaching myself jazz and performing in Miyazaki for about three years, I moved to New York to learn more about its essence.

There, people of every race and culture lived side by side, influencing one another. Jazz, too, was constantly changing as it blended with different cultures, and each musician was striving to express what was truly their own. I realized that what I had believed jazz to be was a very narrow view. The real joy of jazz is how it keeps changing shape as you communicate with your fellow musicians, the audience and the space itself, until the audience, the musicians and the space truly become one. It was a wonderful experience.

After five years there, I came home to raise my children and began performing throughout the prefecture. Audiences often told me things like "It's my first time hearing jazz," "Jazz is so much fun!" and "Where else can I hear it?" I also learned that although some places do have live jazz, going to them can be a hassle or take some courage. So we decided to go out to communities across the prefecture ourselves and create more chances for people to get to know jazz.

I also want to plan activities that use the power of jazz, as self-expression and as communication, to support the children who will shape our future as they grow up free and true to themselves.

With the hope that the future of the Miyazaki I love will shine ever brighter.