Grand Master Yamato O-sho on Challenge and Inheritance
By TOMOKO NAGAI
Rafu Staff Writer
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Yamatogaku, a traditional Japanese music form, taking root and flourishing in Los Angeles.
Ahead of the milestone concert, third-generation grand master Yamato O-sho visited the U.S. to reflect on the journey so far and share her vision for the future.
25 Years of Steady Growth
“Above all, my deepest feeling is one of gratitude to those who have steadfastly preserved Yamatogaku’s presence here for 25 years,” O-sho said.
Yamatogaku USA began in 1999 when local minyo sensei Sato Matsutoyo started studying the art in Japan. The following year, the late second-generation grand master Yamato Hisamitsu traveled to Los Angeles to formally establish Yamatogaku USA.
Through ups and downs — including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic — the group endured. “Yamato Yasoyo and Sato Matsutoyo have protected and sustained this tradition without interruption,” O-sho recalled.
“In recent years, with the participation of Yamato Kyosho, younger generations have joined, expanding the circle of disciples. The roots we’ve cultivated over these 25 years are now beginning to sprout. This concert marks the first step into a new era.”
The Early Days and Her Father’s Vision
Yamatogaku USA was born from Hisamitsu’s strong conviction. Introduced to Sato Matsutoyo through Tokyo’s renowned shamisen shop Mitsumasa, Hisamitsu was driven by the desire to “bring this female-led art form overseas.” He made repeated trips to Los Angeles to teach.
O-sho, then in her twenties, often accompanied her father to support his training sessions. “My father was deeply moved to see Japanese people studying so seriously outside of Japan. I still remember those days vividly — borrowing an empty practice space from scratch, everyone working with total dedication.”
During one of those early years, Hisamitsu participated in a Bando School charity dance performance in Los Angeles, where he presented a bouquet to Bandō Mitsugorō, the late headmaster of the Bando School of Japanese dance. “I recently found a video of that moment,” O-sho said. “In it, my father says into the microphone, ‘I want people in America to experience Yamatogaku first-hand. This is just the beginning.’ Now, I carry the exact same feeling as I continue his path.”
A Fusion of Sound and Motion
Yamatogaku has long been intertwined with Japanese classical dance (Nihon buyō). In Japan, most performances are presented as accompaniment (jikatabayashi) for dance rather than as standalone concerts.
“In Japan, it’s considered primarily a ‘dance music’ art form,” O-sho explained. “Even in Tokyo, a full concert performance of Yamatogaku might happen only once every five years.”
Combining elements of voice, instruments, and movement, Yamatogaku is a comprehensive art that ranges from short lyrical pieces to grand compositions lasting up to 30 minutes. The Los Angeles concert will bring together performers ranging in age from three to nearly 90, uniting song, instrument, and dance to create a single artistic world on stage.
“Dance is movement; music is breath,” said O-sho. “They are connected by rhythm. That’s why Yamatogaku can stand on its own musically, yet becomes even more dynamic when dance joins in. The art breathes through both sound and body.”
Maintaining the Highest Standards Abroad
This will be the first large-scale Yamatogaku concert in 17 years. While the 2008 performance featured many leading musicians from Japan, the 2025 program represents a new phase.
“The biggest difference now is that we have many licensed natori (certified performers) in the U.S.,” O-sho noted. “This time, I want them to take center stage. We’ve minimized the number of performers coming from Japan to prove that the same level of artistry can be achieved here in America.”
O-sho has already traveled to Los Angeles four times this year to train local disciples. Her insistence on maintaining uncompromising quality is clear: “I never want anyone to say, ‘This is good enough for America.’ On the contrary, I want people in Japan to say, ‘Los Angeles has outstanding quality.’ When our students perform alongside Japan’s top musicians, they grow tremendously.”
L.A.: A Torchbearer for Traditional Japanese Music
O-sho also expressed concern for the current state of traditional music in Japan. “In Japan, performance venues are disappearing — like the recent closure of the National Theatre. Fewer people are interested in shamisen music. That’s the reality now,” she said.
By contrast, she sees a strong will to preserve culture within Los Angeles’ Japanese American community. “Here, people hold on to the spirit of ‘not forgetting the Japanese heart’ — the DNA of Japan. What Japan is in danger of losing, this community continues to protect. If Yamatogaku can flourish here, it will in turn inspire Japan.”
With conviction, she added, “In the next decade, I want to show Japan that this is possible. I hope Yamatogaku in Los Angeles will become a symbol that rekindles pride in Japanese culture.”
Rain as a Blessing from Father
At the end of the interview, O-sho smiled as he shared a final anecdote. “My father was what you’d call a ‘rain man’ — every time we had an important performance, it would rain. During the 2008 concert in Los Angeles, it poured. Even now, when it rains on a performance day, I think, ‘Ah, he’s here with us.’ Rain is a sign that he’s watching from heaven.”
If it rains on Nov. 2, it may not be a coincidence. The falling rain could well be a blessing from the late grand master — witnessing from above the fruits of 25 years of devotion and the beginning of a new chapter.
Yamatogaku USA 25th Anniversary Concert
Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m.(doors open at 12:30 p.m.) at Norris Theatre, 7570 Norris Center Dr., Rolling Hills Estates. A five-hour program featuring 22 works in the grand tradition of Japanese hogaku (classical music).
Tickets: $40 adults, $20 children 12 and under. Purchase at palosverdesperformingarts.com.
Info: (805) 477-8303, Yamatogakuusa25@gmail.com