[ Naoko Matsui Official Website ] The soprano who plays an active part in Japan, Europe, and China.

 April 3, 2012 (Tuesday)

At Zojoji Temple in Shiba, “The 800th Memorial Celebration of Buddhism Jodo Sect Founder Honen Shonin (1133- 1212)” was held.Originally planned for last year, the celebration had been postponed for one year in light of the tragedy of the Great East Japan Earthquake. 

The head priest Eiseki Shimizu of Kuhonbutsu Joshinji Temple served as the officiating priest at the 800th Memorial Celebration.

Head priest Eiseki Shimizu can be seen in the photo below surrounded by reception guests.

The reception was held in Ho-Oh-No-Ma Main Hall of the Tokyo Prince Hotel following the memorial service at Zojoji Temple, and I sang at the banquet with piano accompaniment graciously provided by Akiko Kanazawa.

To begin with, you must be asking yourself why on earth was I performing at this gathering? The answer is that I am the daughter of a patron of the Kuhonbutsu Jyoshinji Temple, which is also the site of our family grave, and I was specially requested by the temple to sing a few songs at the reception. 

Though this event was a Buddhist memorial service, the reception was planned as an 800th anniversary celebration, and therefore, I selected joyful songs from my repertoire that everyone knows well. 

I began with “Hana” by Rentaro Taki, and followed with two Chinese songs, “The Moon Represents My Heart” and “The Sea is My Home”, that I had sung in China as a soprano singer. And by popular request, my final selection was “O mio babbino caro” from “Gianni Schicchi” by Giacomo Puccini, a comic opera in one act. As an encore, the audience joined me in singing “Furusato”.

The sound-absorbing thickly carpeted hall and fabric wallpaper combined with the sounds of over 300 diners enjoying the banquet to create a less than ideal acoustic environment. Though I usually never use a microphone, conditions necessitated the use of a mike today.