Toshi Ichiyanagi

This Special Feature introduces several musicians and composers who have contributed to the musical connection between Japan and Finland. Our playlist highlights these connections between the two countries, focusing on musicians and composers discussed in this Special Feature, as well as some other works of contemporary music.

Toshi Ichiyanagi, who passed away in October 2022, was one of the most influential and internationally acclaimed Japanese composers of contemporary music. Possibly somewhat less known is that he also had a strong connection to Finland. As the founder and chair of the Japan Finland Contemporary Music Society, Ichiyanagi became a focal figure in fostering musical exchange and collaboration between the two countries. In this interview, conducted in Tokyo in 2018, Ichiyanagi talks about the contemporary music scene in Japan, the importance of cross-cultural collaboration – and his appreciation of Finnish cultural life.

Innumerable concerts, wonderful halls and talented musicians: the popular image of the status of Western art music in Japan has undergone a sea-change in the past few decades. The country has a rich musical culture that today is closely aligned with the West yet continues to explore its own unique pathways. Lasse Lehtonen, Visiting Researcher at the University of Tokyo, discusses the musical culture of Japan in his column, which was written before the COVID-19 outbreak morphed into a pandemic.