Mikage Project to Perform at Otakon 2024
Washington, D.C. (June 7, 2024) – MIKAGE PROJECT, a trio of Japanese traditional instrument professionals, will perform at Otakon 2024, according to Otakorp Inc. Their goal is to connect with the next generation, recreating folk songs from all over Japan in a modern style.
MIKAGE PROJECT was founded in December 2020. Mikage means the soul and the spirits of Shinto and Buddhism. The members are Kōki Satō, who plays the Shakuhachi (bamboo flute); Sho Asano, who plays the Tsugaru Shamisen (Japanese stringed instrument); and Takashi Honma, who plays the twenty-five string koto (Japanese harp). In April 2021, they released their first EP, "MIKAGE PROJECT," which included recordings of "Kokirikobushi" (a Toyama Prefecture folk song).
They have appeared in the media multiple times. In October 2021, the group made a national broadcast debut on a show by the Japanese National broadcaster NHK, "Minyo Tamashii Furusato no Uta" ("Folk Song Spirit of Hometown"). Since then, they have appeared on various NHK shows, accomplishing such feats as a collaboration with a folk song legend, Naoyuki Harada, and Sho Asano winning accolades as a folk song concierge.
More recently, MIKAGE PROJECT released their second mini-album, "NEO BUSHI," in May 2022. Also, they appeared in the Tokushima Prefecture Awa Odori Association New Year Performance in January 2022. Their efforts to create a new wave of Japanese folk songs are gaining support. Their fourth mini-album, "TOU," will be released in June 2024.
Otakon 2024 will be held from August 2 to August 4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its thirtieth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Historically, Otakon has drawn up to 42,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 157,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.
For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see https://www.otakorp.org/
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2024, see https://www.Otakon.com/
