Kimono accessories are the kaname (=cornerstone) of a kimono outfit.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I understand that your store was founded in 1934. Has it always been in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- In 1934, my grandfather opened the shop in Nihonbashi Muramatsu-cho, which is now an area between Higashi-Nihonbashi and Hamacho. He moved the shop to its current location in Ginza in 1945.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell me the origin of the shop name, Kanameya?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s derived from the \u2018kaname\u2019 part of kanjin kaname (=cornerstone). The word \u2018kaname\u2019 also refers to the clasp at the base of a folding fan that holds the ribs of the fan together.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I never knew that.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- It signifies that kimono accessories that add glamor to a kimono wearer are the \u2018kaname\u2019 (=cornerstone) of the outfit and are an essential element. <\/p>\n
There is actually one more meaning. My grandfather, Kaneaki, who was the founder, told me that it also contains a message for successors (us) expressing a lesson on the difficulty of assembling and selling products from the innumerable varieties and unlimited volume available, and the considerable effort required to gather and lead the staff needed to take on those duties.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. The entire look of an outfit changes with just a single accessory. By the way, the street your shop is on has an unusual name \u2013 \u2018Kenban-dori.\u2019 Does this name have any significance?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- \u2018Kenban\u2019 does not refer to piano keys (laughs). (Piano keys are called kenban in Japanese.) The office and training center for geishas is also called a \u2018kenban,\u2019 and that\u2019s where the street name comes from.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that so? Is there still a geisha call-office here?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes. It\u2019s in the 7-Chome side corner building on this street. Even today, rickshaws are still sometimes driven by.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- No kidding?! I had no idea.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- According to my father, there used to be loads of rickshaws passing by the shop, and there were always dozens parked along this street. Partly because of this history, our shop is still often patronized by geisha customers.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_02.jpg\")
<\/p>\nInterior of Ginza-Kanameya<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWe cannot fixate only on preserving traditions.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When did you decide you would take over the shop?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- During university, I came to realize I would have to take over the family business eventually (laughs). Now I\u2019m working in a traditional Japanese-related job, but at the time I had never even worn a kimono, and was not very interested in it (laughs). There was no particular event that triggered my decision, but perhaps I just realized one day that it was in my genes to become the third generation owner of Kanameya.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But then you actually tried doing it and found it interesting?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, but at first it was less interesting and more exhausting, trying desperately to remember everything, as I had no clue about anything. I was taught bit by bit by my grandfather, father, and our loyal customers, and the more I learned, the more and more interested I became. Even though it is my job, I cannot do it well and keep it up unless I also consider it interesting. <\/p>\n
I continue experimenting day by day even now to discover what I can do, as someone running a kimono accessories shop, to link traditional Japanese culture to future generations.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see that you are participating in social networking, such as Facebook and twitter, and write a blog. I\u2019m guessing that this is rare for someone in the kimono industry.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, it is still not common here compared to other industries. And it is even more uncommon for the actual shop owner to be the one publishing information, as I do. I started the shop\u2019s blog about three and a half years ago, and now, to my great delight, there is a growing number of customers who come to our shop after learning about it on the Internet. Something I learned after starting my blog and talking with customers that came to us for the first time is that many people are having a hard time finding ornamental hairpins to wear with kimonos and other kimono accessories because there are very few shops in Japan that deal exclusively in those products. While there are long-established specialty kimono shops in each area, and you can generally find kimonos if you go to a department store, there are very few shops that specialize in ornamental hairpins and other kimono accessories.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Indeed.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- We have even had a customer who came all the way from Hokkaido after reading my blog. For customers living far away that cannot come to the shop in person, we offer a service for them to purchase items over the Internet. The other day, someone from Okinawa bought an ornamental hairpin to wear at her younger sister\u2019s wedding. I am just extremely happy about this.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It truly is the age of convenience, isn\u2019t it?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- It certainly is. That said, I always think that it would be best for customers to actually visit our shop in person and make their selection after physically examining the various pieces. The items we introduce on the Internet are only a minute selection of all that we have to offer in our shop. Also, while we pay special attention to tone and texture when photographing products, the images viewed on a computer or smartphone will never look quite the same as the actual products. <\/p>\n
People tend to feel a little nervous making orders over the Internet when they can\u2019t see the seller in person. I try to place great importance on communicating over email in the same way that I would when selling products face-to-face, and exchange many emails with the customer. Perhaps for that reason, or because of Kanameya\u2019s reputation, we have not had a single item returned. If I was in the other position, I would surely feel uncertain about buying something I had only ever seen in photographs and from a store I didn\u2019t know. I am extremely happy and grateful for this business.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- There is an entirely different level of credibility when it comes to long-established shops that have been operating in Ginza for nearly 80 years. Kanameya offers a wide selection of tortoiseshell products, and I see that there are many pieces with modern designs in addition to traditional pieces.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- In recent years, we have been putting together a wide range of hair ornaments in designs to match Western-style clothes. We also have some traditional ornamental hairpins with removable decorative parts that can be worn as a pendant or broach with Western-style clothing. <\/p>\n
In contrast to the past, this era is centered around Western clothes. If we want to pass down valuable Japanese traditions to succeeding generations, we must persistently preserve certain time-honored aspects, while also offering options that match the current lifestyle. We must dare to change aspects that need it. Nonetheless, it is very difficult to know which aspects to change and which to preserve.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nWhen it comes to refined tortoiseshell accessories, there is no match for Edo-bekko.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- By the way, around when did tortoiseshell crafting begin?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Although there is no clear literature on that point, it is said that the craft originated in China in the 6th century. Around that time (the Asuka and Nara periods), biwa lutes, walking sticks and other artifacts made with tortoiseshell were supposedly brought to Japan as well and are kept in the Todaiji temple Shoso-in treasure repository. Tortoiseshell crafting was not brought to Japan until some time later, around the Edo period. During the period of national isolation enforced by the Tokugawa shogunate, the crafting that had been brought from China to Portugal was then supposedly brought to Japan as well by Portuguese traders arriving by ship in Nagasaki, Japan\u2019s foreign trade port at the time. In that sense, Nagasaki is considered the origin of tortoiseshell crafting. Then, perhaps because of Japanese national disposition coupled with innate manual dexterity, the tortoiseshell crafting was further refined in Japan towards the creation of aesthetic products like artistic ornaments and Western clothing accessories. The tortoiseshell crafting skills that were brought to Nagasaki were made increasingly more precise and moved gradually eastward, with the eventual budding of skills for processing hairpin and other ornaments with tortoiseshell materials in the inner palace of Edo castle. That is why Edo (Tokyo) is the true center for tortoiseshell ornamental hairpins, obi ornaments, and other kimono accessories.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, it\u2019s actually relatively new. And also surprising, because you would think that Kyoto would be the center for tortoiseshell products.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, customers often ask me if tortoiseshell ornamental hairpins and accessories should be bought in Kyoto, but, as I said, it\u2019s actually Tokyo that was and still is the largest producer of ornamental hairpins, obi ornaments, and other tortoiseshell products related to Japanese tradition. Of course they are also made in other regions as well (like Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagasaki), but Tokyo was especially the best place for traditional Japanese tortoiseshell accessories in the Edo period, and remains so today.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Hence the name Eddo-bekko.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes. As evidence, the City of Tokyo has properly certified it as a traditional craft of Tokyo.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What species of turtle is used for tortoiseshell?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- The hawksbill turtle that is a type of sea turtle. I don\u2019t know if this is still the case, but in the past the turtles were used as food in Cuba. Tortoiseshells were the empty shells left over.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But isn\u2019t hawksbill turtle import banned under the Washington Convention?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, it is. So now we process bit by bit the stock that was brought to Japan before the import ban (import was banned in 1992). There is concern that, Japan\u2019s stock will eventually run out if the import ban is not lifted. But right now there is a greater fear that we will run out of tortoiseshell craftspeople even before we reach the bottom of our stock. When either happens, the irreplaceable and invaluable traditional Japanese craft and culture that has been carefully passed down from generation to generation since the Edo period will come to an end.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How many craftspeople do you work with now?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- They do not work exclusively for Kanameya, but we have about 20 to 30 craftspeople working for us. Most of them are seniors.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So procuring materials and training craftspeople are both difficult right now. Still, I want this wonderful piece of Japanese culture to be passed down to future generations.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI want people to be impressed by their visit to Ginza.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How would you like Ginza to be in the future?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Well first of all, it\u2019s no exaggeration to call Ginza the number one shopping district in Japan. I want it to stay that way in the future as well. At the same time, I also want it to be a safe area. You can often see parents walking through Ginza with their kids even at night. It\u2019s not a sight you generally see in other bustling shopping districts. It just shows how keenly the people of Ginza keep watch.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is certainly true.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Above everything, I want people to be impressed by their visit to Ginza. Whether shopping or food, I want Ginza to live up to its expectations so that visitors are pleased and think, \u201cOnly in Ginza.\u201d To make that happen, each and every shop and person running a business in Ginza needs to be constantly devising and offering products and services that impress customers. While we are no match for our predecessors who built up Ginza today, I will devote myself to working steadily every day, doing whatever I can.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_20_09.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Started playing the violin at age 6. After playing abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, and gives concerts all over the country. Although her current focus is on performing music, she also appears on TV and radio programs. Thanks to her much-loved personality, she is appearing in more and more venues.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I understand that your store was founded in 1934. Has it always been in Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- In 1934, my grandfather opened the shop in Nihonbashi Muramatsu-cho, which is now an area between Higashi-Nihonbashi and Hamacho. He moved the shop to its current location in Ginza in 1945.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell me the origin of the shop name, Kanameya?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s derived from the \u2018kaname\u2019 part of kanjin kaname (=cornerstone). The word \u2018kaname\u2019 also refers to the clasp at the base of a folding fan that holds the ribs of the fan together.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I never knew that.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- It signifies that kimono accessories that add glamor to a kimono wearer are the \u2018kaname\u2019 (=cornerstone) of the outfit and are an essential element. <\/p>\n
There is actually one more meaning. My grandfather, Kaneaki, who was the founder, told me that it also contains a message for successors (us) expressing a lesson on the difficulty of assembling and selling products from the innumerable varieties and unlimited volume available, and the considerable effort required to gather and lead the staff needed to take on those duties.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. The entire look of an outfit changes with just a single accessory. By the way, the street your shop is on has an unusual name \u2013 \u2018Kenban-dori.\u2019 Does this name have any significance?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- \u2018Kenban\u2019 does not refer to piano keys (laughs). (Piano keys are called kenban in Japanese.) The office and training center for geishas is also called a \u2018kenban,\u2019 and that\u2019s where the street name comes from.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that so? Is there still a geisha call-office here?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes. It\u2019s in the 7-Chome side corner building on this street. Even today, rickshaws are still sometimes driven by.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- No kidding?! I had no idea.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- According to my father, there used to be loads of rickshaws passing by the shop, and there were always dozens parked along this street. Partly because of this history, our shop is still often patronized by geisha customers.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Interior of Ginza-Kanameya<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWe cannot fixate only on preserving traditions.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When did you decide you would take over the shop?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- During university, I came to realize I would have to take over the family business eventually (laughs). Now I\u2019m working in a traditional Japanese-related job, but at the time I had never even worn a kimono, and was not very interested in it (laughs). There was no particular event that triggered my decision, but perhaps I just realized one day that it was in my genes to become the third generation owner of Kanameya.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But then you actually tried doing it and found it interesting?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, but at first it was less interesting and more exhausting, trying desperately to remember everything, as I had no clue about anything. I was taught bit by bit by my grandfather, father, and our loyal customers, and the more I learned, the more and more interested I became. Even though it is my job, I cannot do it well and keep it up unless I also consider it interesting. <\/p>\n
I continue experimenting day by day even now to discover what I can do, as someone running a kimono accessories shop, to link traditional Japanese culture to future generations.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see that you are participating in social networking, such as Facebook and twitter, and write a blog. I\u2019m guessing that this is rare for someone in the kimono industry.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, it is still not common here compared to other industries. And it is even more uncommon for the actual shop owner to be the one publishing information, as I do. I started the shop\u2019s blog about three and a half years ago, and now, to my great delight, there is a growing number of customers who come to our shop after learning about it on the Internet. Something I learned after starting my blog and talking with customers that came to us for the first time is that many people are having a hard time finding ornamental hairpins to wear with kimonos and other kimono accessories because there are very few shops in Japan that deal exclusively in those products. While there are long-established specialty kimono shops in each area, and you can generally find kimonos if you go to a department store, there are very few shops that specialize in ornamental hairpins and other kimono accessories.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Indeed.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- We have even had a customer who came all the way from Hokkaido after reading my blog. For customers living far away that cannot come to the shop in person, we offer a service for them to purchase items over the Internet. The other day, someone from Okinawa bought an ornamental hairpin to wear at her younger sister\u2019s wedding. I am just extremely happy about this.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It truly is the age of convenience, isn\u2019t it?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- It certainly is. That said, I always think that it would be best for customers to actually visit our shop in person and make their selection after physically examining the various pieces. The items we introduce on the Internet are only a minute selection of all that we have to offer in our shop. Also, while we pay special attention to tone and texture when photographing products, the images viewed on a computer or smartphone will never look quite the same as the actual products. <\/p>\n
People tend to feel a little nervous making orders over the Internet when they can\u2019t see the seller in person. I try to place great importance on communicating over email in the same way that I would when selling products face-to-face, and exchange many emails with the customer. Perhaps for that reason, or because of Kanameya\u2019s reputation, we have not had a single item returned. If I was in the other position, I would surely feel uncertain about buying something I had only ever seen in photographs and from a store I didn\u2019t know. I am extremely happy and grateful for this business.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- There is an entirely different level of credibility when it comes to long-established shops that have been operating in Ginza for nearly 80 years. Kanameya offers a wide selection of tortoiseshell products, and I see that there are many pieces with modern designs in addition to traditional pieces.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- In recent years, we have been putting together a wide range of hair ornaments in designs to match Western-style clothes. We also have some traditional ornamental hairpins with removable decorative parts that can be worn as a pendant or broach with Western-style clothing. <\/p>\n
In contrast to the past, this era is centered around Western clothes. If we want to pass down valuable Japanese traditions to succeeding generations, we must persistently preserve certain time-honored aspects, while also offering options that match the current lifestyle. We must dare to change aspects that need it. Nonetheless, it is very difficult to know which aspects to change and which to preserve.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nWhen it comes to refined tortoiseshell accessories, there is no match for Edo-bekko.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- By the way, around when did tortoiseshell crafting begin?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Although there is no clear literature on that point, it is said that the craft originated in China in the 6th century. Around that time (the Asuka and Nara periods), biwa lutes, walking sticks and other artifacts made with tortoiseshell were supposedly brought to Japan as well and are kept in the Todaiji temple Shoso-in treasure repository. Tortoiseshell crafting was not brought to Japan until some time later, around the Edo period. During the period of national isolation enforced by the Tokugawa shogunate, the crafting that had been brought from China to Portugal was then supposedly brought to Japan as well by Portuguese traders arriving by ship in Nagasaki, Japan\u2019s foreign trade port at the time. In that sense, Nagasaki is considered the origin of tortoiseshell crafting. Then, perhaps because of Japanese national disposition coupled with innate manual dexterity, the tortoiseshell crafting was further refined in Japan towards the creation of aesthetic products like artistic ornaments and Western clothing accessories. The tortoiseshell crafting skills that were brought to Nagasaki were made increasingly more precise and moved gradually eastward, with the eventual budding of skills for processing hairpin and other ornaments with tortoiseshell materials in the inner palace of Edo castle. That is why Edo (Tokyo) is the true center for tortoiseshell ornamental hairpins, obi ornaments, and other kimono accessories.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, it\u2019s actually relatively new. And also surprising, because you would think that Kyoto would be the center for tortoiseshell products.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, customers often ask me if tortoiseshell ornamental hairpins and accessories should be bought in Kyoto, but, as I said, it\u2019s actually Tokyo that was and still is the largest producer of ornamental hairpins, obi ornaments, and other tortoiseshell products related to Japanese tradition. Of course they are also made in other regions as well (like Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagasaki), but Tokyo was especially the best place for traditional Japanese tortoiseshell accessories in the Edo period, and remains so today.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Hence the name Eddo-bekko.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes. As evidence, the City of Tokyo has properly certified it as a traditional craft of Tokyo.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What species of turtle is used for tortoiseshell?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- The hawksbill turtle that is a type of sea turtle. I don\u2019t know if this is still the case, but in the past the turtles were used as food in Cuba. Tortoiseshells were the empty shells left over.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But isn\u2019t hawksbill turtle import banned under the Washington Convention?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Yes, it is. So now we process bit by bit the stock that was brought to Japan before the import ban (import was banned in 1992). There is concern that, Japan\u2019s stock will eventually run out if the import ban is not lifted. But right now there is a greater fear that we will run out of tortoiseshell craftspeople even before we reach the bottom of our stock. When either happens, the irreplaceable and invaluable traditional Japanese craft and culture that has been carefully passed down from generation to generation since the Edo period will come to an end.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How many craftspeople do you work with now?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- They do not work exclusively for Kanameya, but we have about 20 to 30 craftspeople working for us. Most of them are seniors.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So procuring materials and training craftspeople are both difficult right now. Still, I want this wonderful piece of Japanese culture to be passed down to future generations.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
I want people to be impressed by their visit to Ginza.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How would you like Ginza to be in the future?<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Well first of all, it\u2019s no exaggeration to call Ginza the number one shopping district in Japan. I want it to stay that way in the future as well. At the same time, I also want it to be a safe area. You can often see parents walking through Ginza with their kids even at night. It\u2019s not a sight you generally see in other bustling shopping districts. It just shows how keenly the people of Ginza keep watch.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is certainly true.<\/dd>\n
- Shibata<\/dt>\n
- Above everything, I want people to be impressed by their visit to Ginza. Whether shopping or food, I want Ginza to live up to its expectations so that visitors are pleased and think, \u201cOnly in Ginza.\u201d To make that happen, each and every shop and person running a business in Ginza needs to be constantly devising and offering products and services that impress customers. While we are no match for our predecessors who built up Ginza today, I will devote myself to working steadily every day, doing whatever I can.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n
Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Started playing the violin at age 6. After playing abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, and gives concerts all over the country. Although her current focus is on performing music, she also appears on TV and radio programs. Thanks to her much-loved personality, she is appearing in more and more venues.<\/p>\n