Kairakuen – Starlight Passage and Soundscape Garden is a site-specific itinerant performance set in the iconic Kairakuen Garden in Mito, Japan. Participants enter through the Omote-mon Gate and embark on an approximately 60-minute nocturnal walk among four distinct groves, where music unfolds in varied spatial contexts. This immersive experience weaves together sounds shaped by the garden’s natural scenery, spatial distances, and the audience’s movement, transforming the entire garden into a cohesive musical work. The program reflects contemporary interpretations of traditional and avant-garde elements, blending ancient Japanese gagaku influences with modern compositional approaches.

Following the outdoor procession, the second half of the event takes place at the Miharashi Plaza within the garden, featuring a seated gagaku performance by the Naoyuki Manabe Gagaku Ensemble. The repertoire includes Toru Takemitsu’s Shūteika and Kaito Nakahori’s Seisō, spotlighting a convergence of East-West musical sensibilities. The event highlights the ensemble’s commitment to evolving the traditional court music by integrating site-specific and spatial sound practices, offering audiences a dynamic encounter with Japan’s rich musical heritage in a naturally resonant setting.