A Life in Jazz, Pop, and Film

Tracing the Creative Journey of a Japanese Music Pioneer

Akiko Yano, a pop and jazz singer, is a major talent and influence in the Japanese music industry. She has released 50 albums and collaborated with musicians like Hiromi Uehara, Rei Harakami, Pat Metheny, Thomas Dolby, Swing Out Sister, Little Feat and the Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). She has also collaborated as a composer and voice actor with numerous film directors, most notably the anime legend Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. Yano’s music is known for its whimsical, mischievous touch and innovations. Attending an Akiko Yano concert live is a transformative experience, inspiring audiences with joy and admiration to also express themselves as raw and authentically as she does. Formerly married to the late globally acclaimed musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, a pioneering member of YMO, she continues to inspire both the Japanese and American music industries today with both her talent and melodies. In 2025, Akiko’s live album with Hiromi, Step Into Paradise, won the Japan Gold Disk Award for Jazz Album of the Year. Tokyo Journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Anthony Al-Jamie, met with Akiko in Los Angeles to discuss her career.

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Photographs courtesy of Shingen-ko Festival Executive Planning Committee

Heroes of the Sengoku Era Revived

The Shingen-ko Festival has been held in Kōfu, the capital of Yamanashi Prefecture, every April since 1970 to commemorate the legacy of Takeda Shingen, a renowned general of the Warring States period of the 15th and 16th centuries. While this event is relatively new compared to other Japanese festivals, it has gained support from local residents and gradually expanded in size. The festival was briefly postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned in full swing in 2022 with high attendance by both Japanese residents and foreign tourists. Today it is recognized as a major festival and a source of local pride.

The Shingen-ko Festival: A Showcase of Local Culture

Compared with other Japanese festivals, Shingen-ko Festival is young. It was created on April 12, 1970 to commemorate the anni- versary of Takeda Shingen’s death. Initially a small-scale event, the festival has gained popularity thanks to its celebration of Kōfu’s culture, Shingen’s achievements and the legacy of the Takeda clan. While local residents and government officials are the primary organizers of the festival, Shingen-ko Festival has become a nation- ally recognized event. The festival attracts and captivates people with its grand historical reenactment of Takeda Shingen’s life and legacy.

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Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, stands as a towering figure in the realm of global cooperation and innovation. His life story is a testament to the transformative power of education and the boundless potential of the human spirit. Rising from humble beginnings in rural Venda, Limpopo, South Africa, he has ascended to a position of global leadership, driven by an unwavering commitment to solving the world’s most critical challenges. Dr. Marwala holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Pretoria, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. in artificial intelligence and engineering from the prestigious University of Cambridge. Dr. Marwala is a pioneer in harnessing the power of technology for human advancement. His illustrious career has seen him serve as Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, where he boldly introduced mandatory AI and African Insights curricula for all students – shaping a new generation of globally aware and technologically competent leaders. He currently contributes his expertise as Deputy Chair of South Africa’s Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and lends his wisdom as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie delved into Dr. Marwala’s visionary mission, explored his innovative strategies for confronting global crises, and uncovered the personal narrative that propelled him from a childhood in rural South Africa to becoming a leading voice for unity and progress on the world stage, promoting education as a fundamental human right.

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