Kabuki Series #11 Tachimawari, Fighting Sounds

 https://youtu.be/aWJqDubYRiw?rel=0

Kabuki Series #10 Battle Sounds

 https://youtu.be/0M7Ua8SIHic?rel=0

Kabuki Series #9

 https://youtu.be/cCMASzUq7hQ

YouTube Videos Kabuki Series #7 2 of 2

https://youtu.be/LBcE6l1Zdw4?

January, February, March, April classes in New York, 2017

January lessons:
Saturday, 21, Sunday, 22
 Kocho shamisen, voice, narimono, dance

February lessons:
Friday, 24, Saturday, 25, Sunday 26
 Kocho shamisen, voice, narimono, dance
 Tomoyakko narimono
 Koi Hotaru (Yamatogaku) shamisen, voice

March lessons:
Saturday, 18, Sunday19
 Kocho shamisen, voice, narimono, dance
 Tomoyakko narimono

April lessons:
Saturday 29, Sunday 30
 Kocho shamisen, voice, narimono, dance
 Tomoyakko narimono

No lessons in May.

Upcoming classes in New Jersey and New York

September 23, 2016 New Jersey
September 24, 25, 2016  New York
October 28, 2016  New Jersey
October 29, 30, 2016 New York

For those who are interested in joining,
please e-mail: fujijapanesemusic@gmail.com

July 2016 lessons in New York City will be on July 30, 31

Benefit Concert to Restore Kumamoto Castle from the Earthquake

Kumamoto Castle has over 400 years of history and the precious Japanese architecture as well as historic landmark has been damaged.  We truly hope it will be recovered as soon as possible.

Fuji Japanese Music tries to keep and develop the tradition of Japanese music, shamisen, hayashi, and dance both in NY/NJ area and in Southern California. New York and California members, together, will hold a benefit concert to restore Kumamoto Castle which was damaged by the recent Earthquake.

On Saturday, June 4, 2016  from 3:00pm
At Global Labo, 545 8th Ave., Unit 1410, New York, NY 10018

Program:
Hanami Odori (Nagauta)
  Voice: Toki Ozaki
  Shamisen: Kichitoji Kineya (Watabe), Joseph Monticello
  Kotsuzumi: Motoko Yoshida
  Otsuzumi: Carlos Coronado
  Taiko: Yuka Miyanagi

Tanabata (Yamatogaku)
  Voice: Yuka Miyanagi, Toki Ozaki
  Shamisen: Kichitoji Kineya, Joseph Monticello
  Kage Bayashi:  Motoko Yoshida, Carlos Coronado

Yokihi no Mai (Yamatogaku) -composed by Joseph Monticello
  Shamisen: Joseph Monticello
  Chinese Instrument: Carlos Coronado
  Kage Bayashi

Kanjincho (Nagauta)
  Voice:  Carlos Coronado
  Shamisen: Kichitoji Kineya, Joseph Monticello
  Kotsuzumi: Motoko Yoshida
  Otsuzumi: Yuka Miyanagi

Dance:
Sakura Kamuro
  Dance:  Kristen Nanami Chou
Ume to Sansan
  Dance: Rika Koyabu
  Voice: Yuka Miyanagi, Toki Ozaki
  Shamisen:  Kichitoji Kineya, Joseph Monticello
  Taiko: Carlos Coronado
   Kage Bayashi: Motoko Yoshida

New York members:
Motoko Yoshida, Yuka Miyanagi, Joseph Monticello, Toki Ozaki, Kristen Chou

California members:
Carlos Colonado, Rika Koyabu

Taught and supervised by Mariko Watabe
Hosted by Fuji Japanese Music

2015 Schedule

Usually the classes in the East Coast are held on the forth week of the months.

Thursday in Philadelphia
Friday in New Jersey
Saturday and Sunday in New York

April 23  Philadelphia
April 24  New Jersey
April 25 & 26 New York

May 28  Philadelphia
May 29  New Jersey
May 30 & 31  New York

June - to be decided

July 30 Philadelphia
July 31 New Jersey
August 1, 2  New York

Please visit my web to see the activities in both East Coast and CA.
 http://fujijapanesemusic.org/

October Class Schedule

I will be in the East between October 2 and 5, 2014
October 2 - Philadelphia
October 3 - New Jersey
October 4 and 5 - New York

For California schedule, please visit http://fujijapanesemusic.org/

2014 April Schedule

Classes are held one weekend a month in New York and New Jersey and three weekends in California.

April Classes 
New Jersey - Friday, April 4th and Saturday, April 5th.
New York    - Sunday, April 6th.

California
Oxnard - Friday, April 11th, 18th, and 25th.

Los Angeles classes are coming soon.

April Performance
Saturday, April 26, 2014 at Cherry Blossom Festival at Monterey Park, California

For questions, please e-mail to fujijapanesemusic@gmail.com

Photos from NJ Sakura Matsuri on April 14, 2013

2013 Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park

Tomofuji-kai will perform at annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Branchbrook Park in Newark, NJ.  It will be on Sunday, April 14th. Dance from 2 pm, Music from 3:30 pm.   Please visit below:

http://www.essexcherryblossom.com/index.php/events/b

Classes at Oxnard Buddhist Temple and NY/NJ classes in March 2013

In California, the dance, shamisen, taiko classes have started at Oxnard Buddhist Temple on March 2, 2013.

In NY/NJ, classes will be held on March 29th and 30th.

New York Botanical Garden

As part of the Bronx's New York Botanical Garden's "Fall Flowers of Japan" exhibition, the Tomofuji-Kai will be performing every weekend till October 30th, 2011. In addition, we are also performing at the New York Botanical Garden on October 10th, Columbus Day.

Performances will be held in the garden's Ross Lecture Hall as on two occasions per a day, 1 PM and 3 PM, each 30 minute long events.

Pictures by David Beverly

Tomofuji-Kai Paramus Performance

Mariko Watabe Sensei and the Tomofuji-Kai Orchestra is scheduled star in a multicultural performance at Paramus Public Library on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 2:25pm. It will be the benefit concert for Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. If you are interested in experiencing Traditional Japanese 邦楽 Hougaku music, please join us that day!

We will be performing two Nagauta pieces as well as two Traditional Japanese Dances then.

For further information, please access the Paramus Public Library's Events Page below:

Paramus Public Library Events

We look forward to see you then!

2011 Newark Cherry Blossom Festival

Mariko Watabe Sensei and the Tomofuji-Kai Orchestra was recently featured in a grand performance during the 2011 Essex County Sakurai Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) at Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ. The park estimated that there were over 5000 visitors that day. We had a collection box for Japan Relief as well as having the Branch Brook Alliance 50/50 raffle contribution.

The Nagasaki Kunchi Festival

Featured in the October 8, 2010 Edition of Nagasaki Shinbun.

The Nagasaki Kunchi Festival is one of the three largest festivals in Japan which has started over 370 years ago and is ranked as the national treasure. This year it was held on Oct 7, 8, and 9th. Mme. Kimisen Katada was one of the Narimono musicians at the festival. To view this performance, please click the following links:

• "Sanbaso"
  http://www.youtube.com/user/jg6jav#p/u/11/fKMrP2OvnE0
  
  
• "Nanafushigi"
  http://www.youtube.com/user/jg6jav#p/u/12/pEeoQD9folo
  
  
• "Nagasaki Burabura Bushi",
  http://www.youtube.com/user/jg6jav#p/u/13/etVo0N8145s
  
  

If you wish to enjoy the Kunchi Festival in its entirety, please click the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jg6jav#g/u

Enjoy Magazine Interview , August 2010

Mariko Watabe Sensei was featured in the August 2010 issue of Japan's "Enjoy Magazine" for her work in Tradition Japanese Percussion.

NJ Sakura Matsuri April 18,2010

Mariko Watabe Sensei and troupe during their annual performance in Newark, New Jersey's "Branch Brook Park - Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri).

eジャピオン Sept. 11, 2009

Mariko Watabe Sensei featured in an eジャピオン (eJapion) interview. If you are interested in viewing this Japanese interview, please click the eJapion logo above for a direct link to the online edition or you can directly click the picture above to access a scanned version of this article.

Summer Festival at Roslyn in Long Island Aug 23, 2009

菊祭り NYBG Chrysanthemum Festival 2008

Chopstick NY

Watabe Sensei and her students were recently featured in the Focus Section of the November 2008 Issue of the popular Monthly NY Metropolitan Japanese Culture Magazine, Chopsticks NY.

Please refer to Chopsticks NY's web article:

"Learn From The Master: Traditional Japanese Dance and Music"

or the metropolitan publication's November 2008 Issue, distributed widely in multiple areas within the Tristate Area.

If you are interested in experiencing 邦楽 Hougaku (Traditional Japanese) Music in first person like in the article, please feel free to contact us!

邦楽オーケストラ

みんなで作る邦楽オーケストラ。長唄三味線、唄、小鼓、大皮、締太鼓の演奏と、日本舞踊がここニューヨークで行われています。年齢も5歳から80代の方たちまで、男性、女性、日本人、日本人以外の方たち、皆で一緒に一つの舞台を作っていきます。

お問い合わせは
Tuzu3tai@yahoo.co.jp

先生は日本で日舞、長唄、鳴物を勉強され、1974年以来アメリカ西海岸、北西部、そして東海岸を中心に演奏、舞踊活動をされてきました。オフブロードウェーのサウンドトラック、洋楽とのコラボなどされたり、多くの現地の大学、学校、図書館その他日本のお祭りなどにて日本文化紹介を行ってこられました。現在NYC、Westchester、 Long Island、NJにお稽古場があり、三味線、鳴物、舞踊の指導にあたっていられます。