How does the desire to discover a destination arise? Is it the picture of an idyllic place found on social media or the stories inspired by the surroundings? What if this budding interest could come from somewhere else? Exa Innovation Studio (one of its components, EIS Communication, participates in the promotion of Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto or Nikko) tried to answer this last question. On November 16, the company based in Japan, USA and France organized two concerts with the inspiring title: “Gokan”, a Japanese term for the five senses.
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The purpose: Representing Tokyo and Japan more broadly through classical music. It is a more daring game because this Western art was introduced to the Land of the Rising Sun only in the 19th century. However, the archipelago has become a classical music hotspot over the decades, even if Japanese orchestras and composers still struggle to make themselves known abroad.
It is not enough to scare the initiators of the evening organized within the framework of the 40th anniversary of Paris-Tokyo friendship. The marriage of the two worlds was celebrated in a symbolic place, the Gustave Eiffel Room, located on the first floor of the Iron Lady. Three talented musicians on stage: Japanese Rieko Tsuchida (piano) and Aiko Okamura (violin) as well as French Julie Sevilla-Freise (cello). In front of a full hall made up of the conquered public, the latter commented for an hour the repertoire mixing Western and Japanese composers. On the program: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Joe Hisaishi (who notably composed music for Hayao Miyazaki’s films), Claude Debussy (one of the first followers of Japonisme) and Frédéric Chopin.
“Associating travel with something other than sight”
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Beyond a classical music concert, “Gokan” intended to make Japan “feel” and promote sensory immersion in Japanese culture. “Connecting travel to something other than sight, but also redefining what classical music can be”, this is the mission that pianist Rieko Tsuchida set for himself, as he confided to us before the concert. During the musicians’ performances, many images of Tokyo, but also of Japanese nature, including Mount Fuji, were projected.
“The city of Tokyo is a very popular place. There are many ways to promote it. We wanted to approach a different audience that was more interested in art and classical music., explains Kentaro Kata, founder and CEO of Exa Innovation Studio. A means of domestic travel. “Music and tourism appeal to similar emotions that have a certain depth.”continues Kentaro Kata.
Inducing pleasure
One question remains. Is the recipe for this crafty gig accepted? The performances of the musicians that evening are wonderful to transport us and encourage us to dream. A trip to Tokyo never seems far away. However, some scores can be surprising, such as the finale, played by him Piano Trio in A Minor: IV By Maurice Ravel. We will leave it to everyone to associate it with the Japanese imagination. As for the other senses, sight, like taste, is called upon to taste sake before and after a concert. Touch and smell, however, seem to have been omitted. Shame.
What to spoil the evening? It is not necessary that. Because the beauty of music prevails, even if the choice of the Eiffel Tower – understandably – does not seem the most appropriate. The Iron Lady is still popular with tourists, and using the elevators can be a real struggle for those who walk around. We are far from the Japanese tranquility that the event promotes…
Source: Le Figaro
I’m Ashley Mark, a news website author for Buna Times. I specialize in writing articles about current trends and breaking news stories. With my passion for uncovering the truth behind every story, I strive to bring readers the most up-to-date information available.