2026 Philippines–Japan Friendship Year Opening Event:Cultural Exchange Facilitated by the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival Group

We hope that the concert in Manila will familiarize audiences with the cultural ties between the two countries through jazz.

In addition, in the workshop to be held at De La Salle University – Dasmariñas located to the south of Metro Manila, exchange with students studying jazz will contribute to fostering members of the next generation, along with conveying the appeal of music and the joy of creativity.

This event will be carried out as part of “Partnership to Co-create a Future with the Next Generation: WA Project 2.0,” a comprehensive people-to-people exchange program aimed at promoting exchange and fostering members of the next generation in Japan and ASEAN.

A prominent vocalist at the forefront of the Japanese jazz world. Her singing voice, expressiveness, and musical artistry have brought her international acclaim. Her collaborations with Brazilian music legend Ivan Lins on the 2004 album Non Stop to Brazil and with the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra on the 2006 album Nica’s Dream both won grand prizes in the vocal category of the Jazz Disc Awards hosted by the Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal.

In addition to her musical career, she is involved in charity work to support children in Japan and the Philippines as the founder of “Because We Care.” In 2012, she also launched the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival, the largest music festival bringing together jazz artists from Japan and the Philippines. The festival is currently approaching its fifth installation as it continues to contribute to the education of young musicians in both countries, as well as international cultural exchanges.

He began piano lessons at the age of three and became drawn to jazz at the age of twelve after hearing the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson perform. Initially self-taught, he later enrolled in Berklee College of Music in the United States to study composition and arrangement. While at Berklee, he was recognized with a Hank Jones Award and Duke Ellington Award for his achievements as a pianist and arranger. After graduating, he worked on numerous albums with various artists and jazz groups as a pianist, arranger, composer, and music producer. In 2000, he established a solfège course as a professor in the jazz program at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music. He also teaches jazz classes for elementary school students sponsored by the Yokohama Arts Foundation. In 2016, he founded the general incorporated association Artist Green as an organization to promote the arts, including communication among musicians from all over the world and educational workshops. In subsequent years, he has been focusing on cultivating the next generation through efforts such as musical production for the educational jazz festival “WA Meets Jazz,” workshops and concerts in Manila and Taipei, and serving as a jury member for the Montreux Jazz Festival Japan in Kawasaki and a jazz competition in Singapore.

He took up the contrabass after joining a jazz study club at Hosei University, where he studied under Yosuke Inoue and began playing professionally while still a student. In 2011, he joined the trio of Fumio Karashima, a pianist known for his many years of collaboration with Elvin Jones, taking part in annual two-month nationwide tours. He participated in the recording of a total of three albums as a member of Karashima’s final rhythm section alongside Nobuyuki Komatsu on drums. He is currently active in various bands as well as numerous jam and recording sessions. He also frequently provides support for Japanese concerts by overseas musicians. In addition, he works actively as a bandleader based in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In 2017, he released Satsuki Kusui & Vladimir Shafranov, his first album as a bandleader. His career is now expanding even more with the release of two albums to date as part of the band SK4, which he co-leads, as well as successful overseas concerts. He has established his band’s sound with his powerful swing beat rooted in the traditions of jazz and wide-ranging musicality suited to various genres.

Jazz drummer. He graduated from the jazz program at the University of North Texas with outstanding grades and then completed a Master of Music degree in jazz studies with honors at the University of Northern Colorado. After his move to the United States at the age of eighteen, he was active mainly in the music scenes in California, Texas, and Colorado and studied under artists such as Dean Koba, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Soph, and Jim White. His career in the United States spans over ten years beginning during his student years and includes participation in a wide range of work such as television programs as well as state-sponsored events and symposiums. Artists with whom he collaborated include Vince Mendoza, Greg Gisbert, and Alex Sipiagin. After returning to Japan, in addition to providing support to artists such as Charito, Yoshiko Kishino, and Issei Igarashi, he has become a significant presence in the Asian jazz scene beyond Japan, including going on five Taiwanese tours in 2023.