Dec. 14, 2024 (Sat.): Satokichi Wako Noh Theater Concert “Tokigane no Utage”
Wako performer Satokichi brings Chinese and Japanese culture together to weave a new tradition.
Solo concert at Ohori Park Noh Theater on Dec. 14, 2024.
On Dec. 14, 2024, Wako performer Satokichi will present Tokigane no Utage, his largest solo concert to date, at Ohori Park Noh Theater in Fukuoka. It will be his first performance at the historic theater, which seats more than 500, and a special “first step” toward the future he envisions.
He sincerely hopes to welcome the beginning of a new history together with the audience, carried by the sound of the “tokigane” bell resonating across the Noh stage.
Performers: Satokaeri(Wako)
Supporting artists: Ryuji Tominaga (keyboards) and Yasushi Kuwahata (cello)
Event Information
Date: Dec. 14, 2024 (Sat.); doors 1:30 p.m., performance 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Ohori Park Noh Theater
Address: 1-5 Ohori Park, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Admission: advance ¥5,000; same day ¥5,500 (tax included); all seats unreserved
(Ticket Pia: P code 282-337)
What is the Wako?
The Wako is a unique instrument created by Satokichi and instrument maker Kazuhiro Nishino. Made with Japanese woods such as cedar and zelkova, it incorporates Japanese cultural elements into the erhu, a traditional Asian instrument. Its use of washi paper for the skin is another distinctive feature, emphasizing a gentle, balanced resonance.
Satokichi Profile
Satokichi is a Wako performer and singer-songwriter based in Fukuoka who works widely in Japan and abroad, including Taiwan and the United States. Guided by the theme “a place you can return to, like your hometown,” he seeks to offer listeners a comforting musical experience.
He began his musical career as a singer-songwriter with a classical guitar, but encountering the erhu profoundly changed his path. While singing and playing with the instrument’s distinctive sound, he began building instruments in pursuit of a timbre that felt more truly his own. After years of prototypes and research, he completed the Wako using Japanese cedar, zelkova, and washi paper; it received a Wood Design Award in 2015.
He is also committed to cultural exchange through music, actively presenting concerts and exchange events with music organizations and schools in Japan and overseas.
Background to Tokigane no Utage
The idea for the title Tokigane no Utage arose from Satokichi’s encounter with Noh tradition. Inspired by the old practice of ringing a bell before a Noh performance, he positions this concert as “the beginning of a new story.” Looking ahead to the Wako’s tenth-anniversary concert the following year—and ultimately to a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York—Satokichi resolved to take this first step in Fukuoka.
A Message from Satokichi
“The Wako is still a new instrument, so many people may not yet know it. On the stage of Ohori Park Noh Theater, I hope to offer a new musical experience through familiar Japanese songs and my original works. I hope this concert will be the prologue to an exciting story that is about to begin.”
Press inquiries
Contact: Saori Uchida (public relations for Satokichi)
Tel.: 080-1928-8641
Email: info@nicolo.co.jp
