Japan Society of Northern California Launches Arts from Japan, a New Year-Round Platform for Japanese Arts in the Bay Area
Inaugural season opens September 14 with acclaimed musicians Akiko Yano and Hiromitsu Agatsuma, continues with pianist Kotaro Fukuma’s Bay Area recital on October 27, and features collaborations with the San Francisco Symphony, Cal Performances, and Stanford Live
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — August 4, 2026 — The Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) today announced the launch of Arts from Japan (AFJ), a new year-round platform dedicated to presenting the finest Japanese artistic voices to Bay Area audiences. Building on JSNC’s 120-year history as the region’s leading bridge between Japan and Northern California, Arts from Japan introduces an ambitious inaugural 2026–2027 season spanning classical and contemporary music, traditional performance, and a growing calendar of visual arts programming across San Francisco, the Peninsula, and the East Bay.
“Arts from Japan represents a new chapter for JSNC,” said Steve Pollock, JSNC President & CEO. “For more than a century we’ve brought people together around a shared commitment to U.S.-Japan exchange. This platform gives that commitment a stage — literally — and lets us introduce Bay Area audiences to some of the most extraordinary artists working today.”
The season opens on Monday, September 14 with Yano et Agatsuma, a rare San Francisco performance by singer-songwriter and pianist Akiko Yano and Tsugaru-shamisen virtuoso Hiromitsu Agatsuma, presented at the Barbro Osher Recital Hall at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Bowes Center. Drawing on their acclaimed album Asteroid and Butterfly, Yano and Agatsuma reimagine traditional Japanese folk songs through jazz, pop, and improvisation.
Arts from Japan continues on Tuesday, October 27 with a solo recital by pianist Kotaro Fukuma, a First Prize winner at the Cleveland International Piano Competition whose career spans concert halls on five continents. Titled “Shimmering Water,” the program reflects water’s myriad characteristics through works by Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Takemitsu alongside Fukuma’s own transcriptions of Wagner and Smetana, presented at Tateuchi Hall, Community School of Music and Art in Mountain View.
The inaugural season also includes a series of landmark collaborations with three of the Bay Area’s leading presenting institutions. Composer and conductor Joe Hisaishi, renowned for his Studio Ghibli scores, returns to the San Francisco Symphony podium in October; violinist Sayaka Shoji joins the Symphony in November; and 15-year-old violin sensation HIMARI makes her highly anticipated San Francisco Symphony debut in February 2027 under conductor Jaap van Zweden. In partnership with Cal Performances, the season brings pianist Mitsuko Uchida to Zellerbach Hall in January, followed by conductor Masaaki Suzuki leading the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists for a performance celebrating the 300th anniversary of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. In March, Stanford Live will present jazz pianist Hiromi together with bassist Stanley Clarke and the PUBLIQuartet in a tribute to Chick Corea at Bing Concert Hall. The world-renowned taiko ensemble Kodo will visit the Bay Area in January for performances with Stanford Live and Cal Performances.
“Every artist on this calendar is someone we believe Bay Area audiences will be thrilled to encounter,” said John Robinson, JSNC’s Senior Director of Advancement and Cultural Initiatives. “We’re building Arts from Japan as a long-term, curated home for Japanese artistry, featuring distinctive individuals and ensembles, and showcasing a wide range of expression.”
Single tickets for the 2026–2027 Arts from Japan season are on sale now at on our Luma page.
Arts from Japan 2026–2027 Season
Yano et Agatsuma (Opening Night)
Monday, September 14, 2026 · 7:30pm
Barbro Osher Recital Hall, San Francisco
Akiko Yano and Hiromitsu Agatsuma reimagine traditional Japanese folk songs through jazz, pop, and improvisation, drawn from their acclaimed album Asteroid and Butterfly. VIP tickets are $85 and include a post-concert champagne reception with the artists — and we have only a limited number held for Leadership Circle members.
Reserve your seats
Joe Hisaishi Conducts the San Francisco Symphony
Thursday, October 22, 2026 · 7:30pm
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
Hisaishi conducts the West Coast premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra alongside music from his beloved Studio Ghibli scores. This one is already sold out to the public. Tickets are $250.
Reserve your seats
Kotaro Fukuma, piano — “Shimmering Water”
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 · 7:00pm
Community School of Music and Art, Tateuchi Hall, Finn Center, Mountain View
A water-themed recital spanning Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Takemitsu, with Fukuma’s own transcriptions of Wagner and Smetana. Tickets are $30.
Reserve your seats
Sayaka Shoji, Violin with the San Francisco Symphony
Friday, November 13, 2026 · 7:30pm
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
Shoji performs Respighi’s Concerto gregoriano alongside Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, under debuting conductor Marie Jacquot. Tickets are $140.
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Kodo: Luminance at Stanford Live
Wednesday, January 20, 2027 · 7:30pm
Memorial Hall, Stanford
Japan’s preeminent taiko drum ensemble in an electrifying evening of rhythm and choreography. Tickets are $120.
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Kodo: Luminance at Cal Performances
Sunday, January 24, 2027 · 3:00pm
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
The same acclaimed Kodo program, at Zellerbach Hall. Tickets are $110.
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Mitsuko Uchida, Piano
Friday, January 29, 2027 · 7:30pm
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
A solo recital of Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert from one of the most revered pianists of our time. Tickets are $120.
Reserve your seats
Masaaki Suzuki Conducts J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion
Sunday, February 21, 2027 · 5:00pm
Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley
The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists join Suzuki for Bach’s crowning masterwork in its 300th anniversary year. Tickets are $135.
Reserve your seats
Himari Makes Her San Francisco Symphony Debut
Thursday, February 25, 2027 · 7:30pm
Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco
The 15-year-old violin sensation HIMARI makes her highly anticipated SF Symphony debut, led by conductor Jaap van Zweden. Tickets are $85.
Reserve your seats
Hiromi & Stanley Clarke with the PUBLIQuartet
Saturday, March 13, 2027 · 7:30pm
Bing Concert Hall, Stanford
Two jazz legends and the acclaimed PUBLIQuartet pay tribute to Chick Corea. Tickets are $125.
Reserve your seats
Additional programming, including visual arts and Japanese craft events, will be announced throughout the season.
About Arts from Japan
Arts from Japan is the Japan Society of Northern California’s dedicated cultural programming platform, presenting Japanese artistic voices in the Bay Area through a sustained, year-round curatorial commitment. The platform operates at two levels: JSNC’s own Flagship Recital Series, and collaborative, co-promoted events in cooperation with leading Bay Area presenting institutions.
About the Japan Society of Northern CaliforniaFor more than a century, JSNC has built bridges between the San Francisco Bay Area and Japan through a diverse range of programs that bring together leading business executives, cultural figures, government officials, educators, and community members with a shared interest in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations.
Media Contact
John Robinson
Senior Director of Advancement and Cultural Initiatives
Japan Society of Northern California
john@usajapan.org
