FORUM PERSON

Me and the Tokyo International Forum

HIDEKI TOGI
Gagaku Musician

Hideki Togi
Born in 1959. Spent his early childhood in Thailand and Mexico. After graduating from senior high school, he studied Gagaku in the Music Department of the Imperial Household Agency's Board of Ceremonies. There, he served as Gagaku Musician for 10 years from 1986. He was mainly in charge of the hichiriki (a reed instrument), as well as the biwa (lute), drums, song, dance, and cello. Besides performing at court ceremonies and Gagaku concerts in the Imperial Place, he also took part in overseas tours. He went on to create original works using piano, synthesizer, and computer to enhance the natural charm of Gagaku. In 1996, he released his debut album "Hideki Togi", and left the Imperial Household Agency in the same year. Since then, he has been involved in a wide range of activities, incl

It's interesting to discover the unknown quantity inside oneself.
I would consider any challenge, as long as it stimulates my curiosity a little.

This time, we speak to Hideki Togi, a Gagaku Musician who has been dubbed the "Prince of Traditional Performing Arts". In the past, he has given concerts in Hall C, and appeared as a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra in Hall A of the Tokyo International Forum. In doing so, he has captivated many fans with the exquisite tones of his music. Recently, he has expanded his field of activity into film and TV drama appearances, as well as performing music for TV commercials. We asked Hideki Togi about his love of Gagaku and his dreams for the future

Expanding from Gagaku into a variety of styles.

Recently, I've been accepting a wide range of offers, rather than just sticking to Gagaku. Of course, I make sure they suit me first. By doing so, I feel I'm adding to my experience and my standing as an entertainer. I would consider any challenge, as long as it stimulates my curiosity a little. In the field of music, for example, I had the idea of combining Gagaku with classical music. This was triggered by a piece I composed for joint performance by hichiriki with the Czech Orchestra in an NHK Special. And I think the Boston Pops Orchestra concert held at the Tokyo International Forum last summer was a good chance to show the new expression of performing Gagaku together with classical music. My collaborations across genres have only just started, and I'd like to keep adding to them until they're firmly established. In June 2000, I was given the part of Kent in a contemporary dance version of King Lear at the new National Theatre. Last year I also appeared in TV dramas and in the film "Infinity". I felt a different direction of energy to that of my normal work, and found it very enjoyable. I learnt from it, too. The director of the film even said he could double me up with the lead role, and seemed to value my input. So he let me make suggestions as to how I would play the role. I found it very rewarding to feel that I was contributing to the production in this way. It's interesting to discover the unknown quantity inside oneself. I also became interested in directing, in the sense of expressing oneself artistically. Some time in the distant future, I would really love to direct.

Music to express your individuality naturally.

Since I was a child I've listened to the Beatles, as well as rock and reggae and classical music. I used to like good songs, whatever the genre. I feel that listening to music just to study it is unnatural. We should value the way our hands reach out naturally, the way our bodies move naturally. This will lead to expression that isn't contrived but feels reassuring. That is to say, I think both western and oriental music go back to the same thing, if we think about their deep, primitive roots. People say that the tonal scale of Japanese instruments like the shakuhachi, the shamisen, or the koto is unlike that used in the west. But, many centuries ago, west and east were joined by the Silk Road, and the influences

The current boom is opening the door to traditional arts.

Now traditional performing arts are going through a boom, and Kabuki, Noh, and Kyogen are in great demand. Once, only western culture was valued. But it became too widespread and has reached a state of saturation. And when people looked for an alternative, they found it right beneath their feet. We could say that the media created this boom. But I think it's a good thing. Because I feel that the closed image of traditional arts has been broken, and they've become more familiar to us. There will be both good and bad aspects, but at last the doors have opened. And the listeners can now make their own decision on how deeply to delve into them. To me, Mansai Nomura is the best Kyogen performer in Japan. Not only does he keep on challenging new things, but he has also opened the way for people to access traditional classical arts. I would be really delighted if classical Gagaku could spread like that, just by me making music in the way I like. It's important for as many people as possible to pick up something from what we send out, and even to think it's interesting. In my concerts, the first half consists of classical pieces from the Heian Court, but in the second half I play new music that I've arranged to my own liking. I'm happy that so many people who come looking forward to the second part say they experienced the graceful atmosphere of Heian at the end of the show. However, while I am happy that Gagaku is attracting more attention, I'm also a little concerned. Gagaku has been handed down rigorously in a very closed world. That is precisely why it has been preserved unchanged for more than a thousand years since the Heian era. The minimum requirement for a Gagaku musician is to be able to play the biwa as well as the hichiriki, to be able to sing and dance, and to have perfectly mastered each part of every piece of music. It is only when you have assimilated all this that your performance can be enriched. Just learning how to play the hichiriki at a culture center or somewhere doesn't mean you know all about Gagaku. In fact, it could lead to you making mistakes when introducing Japanese culture abroad. I want people to understand this, and hope to introduce this as a form of knowledge in future.

The Tokyo International Forum could provide openings for traditional performing arts

Performance formats are really varied now, whether it be joint concerts with an orchestra, or duets between piano and hichiriki. And I think the halls we play in should also be suited to this. I once performed in kariginu (an ancient court costume) beside a square pond in front of an art museum. And when I went to Xian in China, the birthplace of Gagaku, I even went out to Dunhuang and performed in the desert.
Hall A of the Tokyo International Forum was a very pleasant space. When I stood on the stage I felt that the layout was excellent, with good depth and breadth to the auditorium. It was very fulfilling to win over an audience of 5,000 people with the hichiriki, a little instrument only 18 centimeters long. The people at the back probably couldn't even see it! (laughs) From that point of view, Hall C is probably better.
Personally, the Tokyo International Forum is very close to my heart. I like it because, rather than being designed for a specific purpose, it's very flexible. Take Noh, for example. Rather than saying, "No, we can't do Noh, because there's no Noh stage", I think performances here could be an opening, a doorway to Noh. And then the real thing could be performed for those who were really interested. Seeing as we have this new receptacle of the Tokyo International Forum, I think we should make more use of Japan's traditional performing arts. And it would be good if the Tokyo International Forum itself could respond flexibly to this demand.
It would be really interesting if, at some point in the future, I could perform music on the sho (a Gagaku pipe instrument) dressed in ancient court costume in the Glass Hall Building, where people could watch from all kinds of angles.

I like the way the Tokyo International Forum is flexible, rather than being designed for a specific purpose. I would be glad if it could provide an opening, a doorway to the traditional performing arts of Japan.