Connecting cultures,
moving hearts.

People can change through the encounters and experiences they have.
This is something I have come to feel deeply over the course of my own life.

It began with Awa Odori dancing in my childhood, and continued through the challenges and setbacks of many years working for a company, and through what I have learned as a taiko performer and instructor and as a career consultant. Looking back, each of these has become a precious part of who I am today.

Above all, it was experiencing how difficult it is to help people grow that taught me the importance of respecting each person’s individuality and values, and of believing in the potential each person holds.

Through my many years of taiko, I have also felt again and again the power of Japan’s traditional culture. The sound of the drums connects people’s hearts beyond language and borders. Through performances and cultural exchange in Japan and abroad, I have come to believe that culture has the power to bring people closer and to create opportunities for mutual understanding.

At the same time, I felt that there were limits to what could be achieved as a group devoted solely to taiko. So I decided to develop the business of MJ Kikaku as a place to draw on the experience and connections I have built, and to create new value across a wider range of fields.

MJ Kikaku is built on two pillars.

The first is sharing Japanese culture and international exchange.
Bringing the appeal of Japan’s traditional culture to people in Japan and around the world, and widening the circle of exchange and mutual understanding through culture.

The second is developing people and discovering their potential.
Respecting each person’s individuality and values, and supporting their growth and new challenges in their own way.

These may seem like two different endeavors, but the feeling at their root is the same: valuing every encounter with others, and carrying the potential that everyone holds into the future.

Encounters with culture enrich our lives, and encounters with people nurture new possibilities. I want to create as many of those opportunities as I can.

With gratitude to the many people who have supported me, I will keep learning and taking on challenges myself as MJ Kikaku brings its own kind of value to society. Thank you for your continued support of MJ Kikaku.