Thank you

To everyone who so kindly wrote to me, thank you so much.
Actually, I didn't know that so many people read my blog until I found out that it is also forwarded to Facebook. That is why I wasn't so clear in what I wrote.
Some of you already know about my condition, but most don't.
Several years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare liver disease called PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis). It is a slowly progressive disease due to the regenerative properties of the liver, however there is no cure except for liver transplantation. Also, the disease causes other complications along the way. In my case, an unprecedented number of liver stones.
I was in he hospital to prepare for liver resection to remove to stones, however the doctors have recently told me that if I have liver resection, a liver transplant will not be possible when it becomes necessary according to Japanese law. Also, in most cases here, only live donor transplant between family members is possible. My wife, being the amazing person that she is, has offered. But she is considerably smaller than me physically.
Moreover, I can't see a possibility of liver transplant in the U.S. (of which I am a citizen) because I don't have health insurance there. And getting it is costly and sometimes impossible with a pre-existing condition.
Well, that's the worrisome part of my life. But I'm still happy with my life because I've got a great wife, two amazing kids (cute enough to be models, we think), great students in both my group and classes, and those taiko drums which forever challenge me to improve myself.
The chance to be cured would be a blessing for myself and my family.

Out again

Well, things changed again, so I'm out today after what seemed like another barrage of tests.
I just have to remain positive and try as much as possible to keep myself as healthy and strong for when the time comes for the part of my life that my family fears.
One nice thing to see, though is that there are a lot of empty beds here, which means more people are out enjoying their lives rather than being in hospital. It is good to know.

So, today I go to Tokara practice which will do a lot of good. We have two new apprentices, Takafumi Onozawa, who started in July and is really showing a lot of promise; and Kelly Reid from Sweden. Today will be her first official session as an apprentice. I am glad I can be there for it. It's an exciting time for Tokara. Good, dependable members, two apprentices, and everyone sharing the goal of working together to make Tokara the strongest performing group it can be.

Starship Tokara

Tokara in Edinburgh - First Day

Tokara had it's first performances of Tenchi Shinmei on August 9th at
St. John's Church in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival and the Edinburgh Festival of Spirituality and Peace. The
concert was a complete success with the theatre being nearly full at
240 audience member who applauded twice for no less than one full
minute (one after 'Hatou no Hibiki' and once after the encore of
'Buchiawase'). Hopefully we will be able to post pictures soon at
Tokara's official facebook site...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tokara/37594483598?ref=ts

Tokara Europe Tour Press Release

Press Release

Internationally renowned Taiko Drumming group, Wadaiko Ensemble
Tokara from Japan is once again exploding onto the european arts scene
with a full concert called "Tenchi Shinmei" at St. John's Church on
Princes Street from August 9 - 20, 2010 - each day, except thursdays,
at 7:30p.m.
Also, at Exeter Barnfield Theatre in Exeter, Devon at 7:30 (with
workshop at 12p.m. to 2p.m.)

The group tours internationally four to five times each
year...enchanting audiences in their native Japan, as well as
highlighted tours Off Broadway in New York and throughout the United
States, Canada, Taiwan, and India. The group has also performed in
many festivals throughout Europe, including the 5th U.K. Taiko
Festival in Exeter which sold out for the first time. This year,
however, will be their first full concert here on the European
continent.

The groups list of accolades is daunting given how young the group
is. Art Lee and Wadaiko Ensemble Tokara has performed at: special
performance at the Japan Expo, two-week run Off Broadway in New York
and Carnegie Hall, the Taiko All-Star Concert in Tokyo Aoyama,
headlined at the Taipei City 120th Anniversary and Kelowna City 100th
Anniversary, and many others. Of particular note is Tokara's
invitation to perform at the single most influential taiko event of
this century: The Asano Taiko 400th Anniversary Concert in June 2009.
The leader of Wadaiko Ensemble Tokara, Art Lee, is renowned as one of
the leading taiko artist of our generation. Art Lee is the first and
still the only person in the world to be awarded an unsponsored artist
visa by the Japanese government to live in Japan as a professional
taiko performer, teacher and composer. He is also the only
non-Japanese person in history to ever win First Place at the Tokyo
International Taiko Competition.

Concert Details:

SCOTLAND:
Title: Tenchi Shinmei
Date: August 9 - 20, 2010 (except thursdays)
Place: St. John's Church Venue 127 - Edinburgh, Scotland
Time: 7:30p.m.
Tickets: £12.00
Ticket Details on the Festival website:
http://www.festivalofspirituality.org.uk/
Tokara Website: http://www.tokara.net/

ENGLAND
Title: Tenchi Shinmei (concert and workshop)
Date: August 27, 2010
Place: Exeter Barnfield Theatre (Devon County)
Time: 7:30p.m. (Workshop 12p.m. - 2p.m.
Tickets: £15.00 (concessions £10.00)
Ticket Details on the Theatre website:
http://barnfieldtheatre.org.uk/Shows/2010/August/Wadaiko%20Tokarae.html
Tokara Website: http://www.tokara.net/

Quotes from previous performances:

They communicated such joy...that I was absolutely enchanted...I felt
pure primal joy as the beat reverberated through my body... -
NipponDaze

"Catch them while you can. If you don't, you'll probably either live
to regret it or probably never know what you missed" - Edinburgh
Fringe Review

For more information, please contact Sakura Kinoshita at:
info@tokara.net or Tel:81-265-59-8768.

Workshop spaces still open

There are still spaces available in only two more Tenchi Shinmei
Europe Tour workshops.

1. The four day Intensive workshop in Dublin from July 26 - 29; five
more spaces.

2. August 27th at the Barnfield Theatre workshop; ten more spaces.

Contact Wadaiko TOKARA Japan at: info@tokara.net
to book a place in these workshops.

Tenchi Shinmei Europe Tour Site:
http://www.tokara.net/tenchishinmei/index-en.html

In Frankfurt

I have arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, an event which marks the
beginning of Tokara's Europe Tour.
For the first two weeks, I am here in Germany for six non-consecutive
days of workshops here in Frankfurt and next weekend in Essen. I'm
already dreading that I forgot to bring my camera...there were some
great pictures that I could have taken. Like a dish that I had just
after getting off the flight called 'Handkäse'. It actually looks
like simmered Daikon, but the taste is quite strong for a first bite.
Mixed with diced onions, though, it is very nice.
While I'm on the topic of food, I just had breakfast at the hotel at
which I'm staying. Simple, yet divine. As I remember from my travels
to Germany in 1994, the bread here is second to none. In all the
countries I have been to, none comes close to producing bread like
this.
Well, I won't spend too much time writing when I can use this time for
exploring. First workshop tonight just down the road...looking
forward to it.

Here is a picture that I took with my computer. The view from my hotel.

Upcoming Tokara Tour News!!!`

Art Lee and Tokara are going to Europe soon! We are on course for 32
performances and workshops in Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland and
England.

Concerts - Tickets for the concerts in Dublin and Exeter are going
fast, so get your tickets soon before they are sold out. Tickets for
Tokara performances at the Edinburgh Festival of Spirituality and
Peace are on sale now. We will be performing at St. John's Church
Theatre everyday except thursdays from August 9th - 20th. All concert
details are available at the Tenchi Shinmei Official Website:
www.tokara.net/tenchishinmei/index-en.html

Workshops -
Almost all of the 12 workshops in Europe are filled. However, there
are still five spaces left in the weeklong intensive workshop in
Dublin, Ireland for July 26 - 29. Once these five spaces are filled,
there will be no more spaces for workshops during the 2010 tour, so
sign up now to secure a place.
Dublin Taiko Intensive Workshop - July 26 - 29.
Details: http://www.tokara.net/tenchishinmei/Irelandtaikoworkshopinfo.pdf

To sign up for this workshop, contact Wadaiko TOKARA Japan
(tenchi@tokara.net), or Taiseiyoo Taiko Ireland
(http://taikoireland.com/ArtCourse.htm)

Detroit Music Hall - April 24th, 2010

The backstage door to the theater. The sign above says "Fallout Shelter"

Practice

Today was a very beautiful day, and was the first time that I have
been able to have my own practice in quite a long time.
The spring air was still cool and crisp. The view was amazing.
Nobody came to complain about the noise. Good practice.
The Tenchi Shinmei concert in matsumoto is tomorrow. Looking forward
to it.

Hmmm

Ipad. Do I plan on buying one? Probably not yet. Though I'm sure my
one year old daughter would be ecstatic if one mysteriously arrived in
the mail. Then she might guve me my ipod back.