Visit Portland Japanese Garden to see the return of our beloved bonsai.
Enjoy a free koto performance by Mitsuki Dazai at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.
Mitsuki Dazai is a graduate of Tokyo’s Kunitachi College of Music, studied koto with virtuoso Kazue Sawai, and received her koto instruction certificate at Sawai Koto Institute. She moved to Oregon in 2002, served as a guest lecturer, and toured throughout the US, Europe, South America, and Japan.
In 2010, Dazai was featured on Oregon Art Beat and released two CDs — Autumn, Music for Solo Koto (2007) and Far Away…Romances for Koto (2010) with Grammy-nominated composer Michael Hoppe. She also appears on Shanti Samsara: World Music for Environmental Consciousness, produced by Grammy-winning Ricky Kej. In 2016, she performed at the 21C Music Festival in Toronto.
The Koto is a thirteen-string plucked zither introduced to Japan in the 7th century. It has been part of the Gagaku court ensemble for over a thousand years and was popularized in the Edo period (1600-1868). It is now one of Japan’s most prominent musical instruments, with a wide range of techniques and sound textures. Learn more about the Koto.
Portland Japanese Garden would like to thank James F. and Marion L. The Miller Foundation and Oregon Arts Commission for their support of arts and culture programming.
