Twenty years ago, I started The Kyoto Connection, a musical project inspired by a city that I had never visited. Over the years, Kyoto became much more than a place. It became a source of inspiration, friendship, and unexpected connections with people from around the world.

This september, that story continues. Together with Cafe Monogataru, we are delighted to host the very first edition of K-CONNECTION in Yamashina!

We imagine it as a small and welcoming gathering where artists can share their work, their stories, and the many different ways Kyoto has touched their lives.

We don’t want this to feel like a traditional performance. We hope it becomes a space where conversations begin, collaborations are born, and strangers leave feeling they have known each other for years. Whether you come to perform or simply to listen, we would love to welcome you!

Event Information

Date: Sunday, September 27 2026 – 4:00 PM
Venue: Cafe Monogataru. 11-1 Misasagi-Hirabayashi-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City (If the location is difficult to find on Google Maps, please search using the parking lot address:27-4 Anshu-Okunoda, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City)

Open Call for Artists

¡We are currently inviting artists to participate! Each selected artist will have approximately 15 minutes to share their work.

We welcome proposals in music, poetry, storytelling, photography, painting, dance, and every other form of creative expression.

Because the venue is intentionally small and intimate, not every application can be accepted. Apply here.

Several cities and events are already confirmed, but we’re still excited to discover new places, meet new people, and embrace whatever experiences this journey may bring.

We’ll be sharing all the latest updates here and on*thekyotoconnection.com

See you in Japan!

There, I recorded the gentle sound of water flowing through the garden. I never learned exactly where that water came from—perhaps from a distant mountain stream, perhaps from the imagination itself—but its voice stayed with me long after we left.

With that sound and the emotions the garden awakened in me, I composed When in Murin-an, a piano piece in three movements: Solitude, Inspiration, and Encounter. These are the three feelings I experienced while sitting in that extraordinary place, and the ones I hope to express through this music.

Murin-an is one of Kyoto’s most celebrated gardens, created at the end of the 19th century as the residence of statesman and visionary Aritomo Yamagata. Considered a masterpiece of modern Japanese garden design, it remains a place where nature, silence, and contemplation meet in perfect harmony.

This track is an attempt to translate that feeling into music

It was there where I could clearly hear that subtle inner voice that has been calling me to create this music for the past 20 years.

During my visit, I recorded the surrounding soundscape — the atmosphere, the silence, the presence — and also the gong that stands just in front of the temple gate. With those sounds, I later composed this piece as a way to return to that moment, to that whisper.

“Whispers of Bishamondo” is now available on all streaming platforms.

I truly hope it finds you, and that you enjoy it.

This time I’m arriving with some cool projects: hosting a multicultural event in Kyoto, recording a new album in Yamashina, and continuing to meet great people along the way.

I’ll also be available for performances and festivals en Kyoto and Tokyo—if anything comes to mind, I’d love to hear from you

I’ve spent much of this past year writing, researching, and documenting those experiences—moments that, I can now say, changed my life and reshaped the way I understand my connection with Kyoto.

From that journey comes Dances with Ghosts, my upcoming book. I’m currently in the final stage of revising the Spanish manuscript, and I hope to soon announce an English edition to share with the world.

Algorithmic influence, surely. But it’s also possible to draw a parallel between difficult times—pandemics, wars, moments of global uncertainty—and a rise in its listening.

It’s only a hypothesis. Perhaps it’s nothing more than coincidence.

Either way, it brings me a quiet sense of joy to know that the album—and its music—is always there, available to anyone who might need a moment of calm within themselves.

Back then, it was just a hobby to me.

What I didn’t know was that this creative process was opening a new timeline in my universe, one filled with great moments, beautiful people, and unforgettable experiences.

Since then, every time I’m about to start creating something new, I can’t help but wonder:

**how far could this one take me?**