The European-Japanese artist collective Japone Artists will be touring this summer for a number of shows in Europe, including a show at HYPER JAPAN Festival 2022. After joining several events virtually during the pandemic, the group was able to perform at Heroes Made in Asia Gorinchem in October 2021. After that, the group has been working hard to get on stage more often in the coming summer.
The tour consists of four dates:
Sunday 19 June, 2022: Japan Festival Amstelveen – Amstelveen, the Netherlands
Friday 24 June, 2022: Pletterij – Haarlem, the Netherlands
Saturday 2 July, 2022: “LOVE UKRAINE” Charity Concert @ Evangelisch-Lutherse Kerk – Haarlem, the Netherlands
Saturday 23 July, 2022: HYPER JAPAN Festival 2022 – London, United Kingdom
During this summer tour, a couple of members of the artist collective will join, including soprano/vocalist Utako Arakawa and Ayumi Matsuda (recorder). After joining Japone Artists last year, bass player Yusuke Morita has flown over from Japan to join the performances in person. In addition, the sword fighter and martial arts actor Aristos Dragon-Warrior will perform at Japan Festival and HYPER JAPAN Festival 2022. During the “LOVE UKRAINE” charity concert, pianist Yoshimi Kawai – who joined Japone Artists in 2020 – will join the performance as well. The performances during this tour will be focused on music and in some instances also dance instead of the regular combination of theatre, dance and music.
Furthermore, the show at the Pletterij in Haarlem will also be broadcasted live for everyone who are not able to join the performance in person.
In February, the artist collective released their first digital single, titled The Terra, consisting of three tracks, or three movements, as described by the members of Japone Artists, as this release is written in the style of a sonata where you will be taken on a journey across the Earth. More about the release can be read in our previous article. One month later, they released the digital single for Toryanse, which had also been given a music video and got a premiere during HYPER JAPAN ONLINE in 2021.
About Japone Artists
Consisting of Japanese artists, based in The Netherlands, Germany and Japan, who perform a mixture of traditional and contemporary arts on the international stage. The theatrical shows that Japone Artists present contain many elements of beauty, drama, humour, projection art and original or remixed stories. Since starting activities in 2016, the artist collective has been performing at several events with a focus on Japanese culture based in The Netherlands.
Due to the circumstances of the pandemic, Japone Artists decided to reach their fans via digital platforms. They have been working on new music, theatrical storylines, have participated in online editions of conventions within and outside the Netherlands, and even started a video podcast, entitled Japone Artists Talk. In May 2021, bass player and composer Yusuke Morita joined as the newest member of Japone Artists. He has been working also for anime productions such as Hirune-Hime (Napping Princess) and Carol & Tuesday. Together with him, Japone Artists have been fervently creating original music and videos, of which two music videos got presented at the UK event HYPER JAPAN ONLINE.
Since 2020 Francisca Hagen, AVO Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief is the manager of Japone Artists. Now Japone Artists are willing to go on more widely international and our aim is to make an impression on more people with Japanese beauty and spirits by a refined high qualified performance.
