2 Japanese Ambient Albums presented by Teshi’s Fine Hour 26.09.2026 13:00

Join a guided listening session exploring two Japanese albums that reimagine tradition through adventurous contemporary sound.

One album brings the ancient voice of the yokobue (Japanese transverse flute) into a world of jazz fusion, progressive rock, and ghostly ambient textures. The other takes the traditional Japanese koto and filters its delicate resonance through modern ambient and electronic production.

Both albums approach tradition not as something fixed in the past, but as something alive, something that can evolve, transform, and open up new narratives. By bringing traditional instruments into unexpected sonic environments, these works create new ways of hearing and imagining Japanese musical heritage.

Experience both albums in hi-fi stereo at Berlin’s Tea & Vinyl, guided by Berlin’s nerdiest music nerd, Teshi’s Fine Hour.

Michiko Akao: Yokobue: Michiko Akao’s World (1983)

Yokobue player Michiko Akao’s 1983 album Yokobue: Michiko Akao’s World is a remarkable new-age work that reaches far beyond the boundaries of traditional Japanese music.Created with composer and arranger Shigeaki Saegusa, the album places Akao’s expressive transverse flute within a richly layered world of jazz fusion, progressive rock, and atmospheric textures.

aus: Eau (2025)

Eau is the latest album by composer and producer Yasuhiko Fukuzono’s solo project, aus.

Featuring koto performances by Eden Okuno throughout, the album represents a beautiful new direction for aus. Traditional koto sounds are woven into a contemporary ambient and electronic landscape, resulting in music that feels both deeply rooted and completely new.

About Teshi

Self-claimed Berlin’s nerdiest music nerd from Japan, Teshi has worked at Kyoto’s legendary Jet Set Records, written for the Fader and the Japan Times, and ran a successful bilingual music blog for over 15 years. Now based in Berlin, he hosts Teshi’s Fine Hour, a monthly listening and talking session dedicated to overlooked and under-appreciated music genres.

Date: September 26, Saturday Time: 13:00 - 15:00

Including Chinese tea session

Guided listening session