Oregon Koto-Kai (Portland) is a musical group featuring the unique sound of the koto, a traditional Japanese zither with 13 silk strings and movable bridges. The ensemble, which koto master Mitsuki Dazai founded in 2012, treats audiences to the beautiful sound of this rare Japanese instrument.
Bio
Oregon Koto-Kai is a musical group featuring the unique sound of the koto, a traditional Japanese zither with 13 silk strings and movable bridges. Considered Japan’s national instrument, the koto was historically played in the Japanese Imperial Court, and it continues to be an emblematic Japanese musical instrument. The koto’s long wooden body is placed horizontally on the floor or on a stand with the player positioned at one end. With finger picks on the thumb and first two fingers, the musician plucks the instrument’s thirteen strings while using the other hand to press the strings and “bend” notes. Oregon Koto-Kai also uses a 17-string bass variant of the koto. A series of bridges on the instrument allows the musician to play in scales from many cultures, from traditional Japanese to contemporary Western. For many, the koto is a symbol of Japanese culture that evokes a sense of tradition and meaning. Japanese koto master Mitsuki Dazai founded Oregon Koto-Kai in 2012, ten years after she came to Oregon. Originally from Tokyo, Dazai studied the instrument for many years and performed with an ensemble that traveled both in Japan and internationally. When she arrived in Oregon, she played solo in cafés and bookstores before teaching others to play koto. After a joint performance with one of her students, she decided to form Oregon Koto-Kai. Although Dazai lives south of Eugene, she travels to Portland twice per month to teach and practice with the group. Each group member, some of whom first studied the instrument in Japan, takes private lessons from Dazai before practicing together as a group. The thirteen-member Oregon Koto-Kai performs publicly several times a year.
