Japan Festival 2023 Performers

Enjoy traditional music, dance, drama and more!

MINYO CRUSADERS

MINYO CRUSADERS is a 10-piece band known for their unique fusion of Japanese traditional folk songs (min'yō) with various rhythms and beats inspired from Latin, African, Caribbean, and Asian music. Singing songs sung by fishermen ("Kushimoto Bushi"; "Mamurogawa Ondo"), coal miners ("Tanko Bushi") and sumo wrestlers ("Sumo Jinku"), the music of the MINYO CRUSADERS has re-ignited global interest in Japanese music.

“For Japanese people, min'yō is both the closest, and most distant, folk music” explains band-leader Katsumi Tanaka: “We may not feel it in our daily, urban lives, yet the melodies, the style of singing and the rhythm of the taiko drums are ingrained in our DNA”.

A big band like no other — captivating melodies, full-bodied brass themes and hypnotic drums grab the listener and take them on a dizzying musical journey. Their 2019 debut album “Echoes of Japan” threw off a large number of invitations to leading festivals — including Trans Musicales, Le Guess Who, Oslo World Music, Überjazz, WOMADelaide, WOMAD New Zealand, and Fuji Rock. The group also appeared in NPR’s TINY DESK CONCERTS SERIES.

“MINYO CRUSADERS played with such verve and good cheer that most of the Jazz Café was dancing by the first song… a concert quite like any other.” - ★★★★ The Times

The band has just finished recording their second album and will be bringing min'yō music to Texas for the first time through Japan Festival Houston!

**MINYO CRUSADERS appearance at Japan Festival Houston is supported in part by the Japan Business Association of Houston through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Grassroots Projects Grant.

SAMURAI SWORD SOUL

SAMURAI SWORD SOUL (SSS) is a samurai theater company founded by Yoshi Amao in 2003.

Formed with the goal of sharing Bushi-Do or the samurai spirit, SAMURAI SWORD SOUL’s performances are composed of an engaging mix of comedy routines, humanistic-theme dramas, and thrilling sword fights.

With sword techniques based on centuries-old Waki Ryu TATE and movements based on Seido Karate and Kendo (Japanese fencing) techniques, SAMURAI SWORD SOUL have established their own unique performance style that incorporates sword fighting arts with a more contemporary essence and artistry.

As one of the only theater companies in the U.S. that employ TATE in their demonstrations and samurai dramas, SAMURAI SWORD SOUL has appeared in numerous festivals and made countless TV appearances from the TODAY show on NBC to NY-1 News, WB-11, CBS, FOX TV, Fuji TV and NHK. They have also been featured in New York Times, Daily News, New York Sun, Metro New York, Japion, and Daily Sun. Samurai Sword Soul choreographs and performs in samurai films as well.

SAMURAI SWORD SOUL embrace the Samurai virtues of Rectitude (義 gi), Courage (勇yū), Benevolence (仁 jin), Respect (礼 rei), Honesty (誠 makoto), Honor (名誉 meiyo), and Loyalty (忠義 chūgi), and look forward to sharing their samurai spirit with Texas in their Japan Festival Houston debut!

EAST WEST JAZZ

East West, founded by Reiko Obata, was formed in 2005 as a blend of artists, talent, and cultures. With the unique instrumental combination of Japanese koto and Western instruments, East West offers a fresh, dynamic sound that is a new take on jazz standards, traditional melodies and original compositions.

Koto performer Reiko Obata is at home in both traditional and jazz arenas. With master's degrees from the Seiha Conservatory of Japanese Music and San Diego State University, her music has been featured in TV, film and live theatre. Obata has produced several CDs of her own compositions and arrangements.

Jimmy Patton is renowned for his ability to play two guitars simultaneously. He won the title of "Best Unsigned Guitarist" in the 2001 national Guitarmageddon competition. Patton has also shared the stage with Grammy award winner Stanley Jordan and Laurence Juber of Paul McCartney's "Wings."

Russell Bizzett is known for his creativity and his sensitivity to balance. He has toured with Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Jose Feliciano and Freddy Hubbard. He has recorded for the Laverne & Shirley Show and the Merv Griffin Show. Bizzett has also performed with the Boston Pops and the Berlin Pops.

Their self-titled CD has been played on jazz stations in the U.S. and internationally, including Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the Netherlands!

KAMINARI TAIKO

KAMINARI TAIKO was founded in 1996 by Jay Mochizuki along with a number of talented musicians from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.

KAMINARI's unique style of dynamic taiko performance is inspired by the traditional values of Japanese art and propulsive, toe-tapping world beats. The group's high-energy shows are powered by an arsenal of over 30 professional-quality taiko.

KAMINARI TAIKO enjoys sharing the spirit of taiko with audiences throughout Texas and beyond. Over the past nineteen years, KAMINARI has toured to over 20 cites, performed hundreds of concerts for live audiences exceeding 150,000, and developed into a prominent performing taiko group.

NADESHIKO

Hailing from Houston’s Sister City in Japan, Chiba City, NADESHIKO is a group of student performers from Inage High School.

Inage High School student performers are a highlight of Chiba City’s Oyako Sandai Matsuri with their energetic Eisa drumming performances - an art form that originated in Okinawa.

NADESHIKO will be sharing Inage High School’s Eisa traditions while incorporating elements of traditional Japanese dance in a unique collaboration worthy of the group’s name — women of great beauty.

Aki Kawasaki

Akihiro “Aki” Kawasaki is originally from Ibaraki, Japan. He has had unique career in the medical and fitness field. Kawasaki holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed an internship with Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabama, where he trained under physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists. As a student athletic trainer, Kawasaki worked with the baseball, soccer, softball, tennis, rugby and national championship winning football team at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC). He previously served as a personal trainer and strength & conditioning (S&C) coach for Olympic athletes on the national team of Japan. Kawasaki is currently the head S&C coach at Houston Ballet and Houston Ballet Academy. He holds certifications in Functional Movement Systems (FMS) – level 2, Y Balance Test (YBT) of FMS, Fundamental Capacity Screen (FCS) of FMS, Rossiter – level 4, Yamuna Body Rolling – Face, Feet, Table Treatment and Animal Flow and Spatial Medicine.

Kawasaki began teaching Strength and Conditioning, Weight Training, Strength Training, Yamuna Body Rolling classes and Private training sessions at Houston Ballet Academy in 2011. He also provides weekly private and group sessions with Houston Ballet company members to strengthen their weak-links and prevent injuries.

Kawasaki not only instructs dancers on proper form but also reiterates the importance of nutrition, diet and hydration. He helps keep them motivated to reach their goals and achieve their full potential. One of Kawasaki’s philosophies is, “it is essential for student dancers to understand human anatomy, biomechanics and exercise physiology in order to be able to practice self-care, to rehabilitate, and to choose training exercises in order to maximize and exceed their full potential in their body for their practice and performance in ballet.”