Though entrepreneurship and the gig economy are seeing an uptick in Japan, full-time roles in large and established Japanese companies remain the employment of choice for most job-seekers in Tokyo. Satoko Kawagoe, however, was willing to forgo that security to pursue a career playing the instrument she has loved from age 16. And she hasn’t stopped ever since.
As more and more pipe organists continue working long after retirement age in Japan, there is an enormous competition for a limited number of posts, the majority of which are part-time. Still, Kawagoe is determined to make a living from her passion. Following her graduation from one of Tokyo’s top music universities, she moved to France to deepen her understanding of historic pipe organs and hone her playing style. She then secured a post in her hometown and returned to Japan.
ow, one of only three sub-organists at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater in Ikebukuro, Kawagoe plays its stunning three-styles-in-one organ, which is one of the biggest in the world. As the post is part-time, she is also an assistant professor in organ at three universities in Tokyo, thereby achieving her dream of making organ a part of her day, every day.
Savvy Tokyo asked the professional pipe organist about her unconventional job and why she loves it.
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3 Comments
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baroque1888
It is always great to hear something nice on the news. Good for her. An organ is a wonderful and versatile instrument. One can play a whole orchestra on the organ.
Brian Wheway
Here in the UK we have a radio program called "the organist entertains" i hope that some one from the BBC radio crew see this news and invite her to the UK to play! I wonder if she has played in one of the many English cathedrals?
pacint
I appreciate all music's, may they be classic, bagpipes, modern(jazz, pop, punk, techno, etc).