A collaborative showcase featuring leading Japanese artists, creators and entrepreneurs, offering an immersive experience in contemporary Japanese music and culture.

Upcoming

Nippon Kobo Fall Fundraising Campaign!

Campaign Dates: September 14 - October 31, 2026

Fundraising Goal: $10,000

• Silent Auction: Original artwork by Dice Tsutsumi created specially for this fundraiser

• Donate and become a member to attend the Member Exclusive Social
  

Your support will help make Nippon Kobo 2027 ~ Tradition and Evolution ~ possible, including Nippon Kobo Vol. 3 in Spring 2027, featuring acclaimed shakuhachi player Reison Kuroda from Japan alongside a Japanese photography exhibition. And this season's Nippon Kobo Family Event in Fall 2027 will offer an elevated interdisciplinary experience, bringing together chamber music and short animation films in a unique collaboration curated by our artistic advisor and animation film director Dice Tsutsumi.

We are thrilled that Dice is generously donating original, hand-drawn animation artwork created especially for our fundraiser, along with premium autographed items. These one-of-a-kind pieces will be featured in our Silent Auction – don’t miss your chance to take home an original!

Nippon Kobo Member Exclusive Social

Saturday, October 24, 2026 4-6pm

Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco

The evening will feature a special collaboration between Music × Shibori textile presentation by Suzusan, along with sake tasting by Jizake Quest.

Become a member and receive an invitation for you plus a guest to the event.

Nippon Kobo 2027 ~ Tradition and Evolution ~

Stay tuned for the details of our 2027 event - Nippon Kobo Vol.3 and Nippon Kobo Family Event in the Fall 2027!

Sign up for our newsletter for more details to come!

Past Events

Nippon Kobo Family: Percussion Music

Sunday, May 31st, 2026 at 4pm

Conservatory at One Sansome, San Francisco

Featuring: Percussion Music by Nippon Kobo Ensemble 
Free admission

An afternoon of musical celebration for Nippon Kobo community that is open for the Bay Area public for free admission, sharing Japanese folk melodies, rhythms and also film music arranged for percussion ensemble.

Nippon Kobo Family is presented in collaboration with The Conservatory at One Sansome, and Japan Society of Northern California.

Kobo Sessions:
Sonic Improvisation Trio x Japanese Wine x Bento Box

Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at 6pm

Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco

Kobo Sessions are premium events set in intimate locations, with a small audience capacity to offer an intimate experience of music and culture from contemporary Japan. Centered on this year’s theme — Ma: The Space Between All Things — this event explored Japanese aesthetics and music through an interdisciplinary collaboration between the sonic improvisation trio of Kanoko Nishi-Smith (koto), Theresa Wong (cello), and Haruka Fujii (percussion), alongside an exhibition of artworks by Emil Lukas.

Nippon Kobo also welcomed Asian Wine Association of America, who introduced three Japanese wineries from Northern California - Mikami Vineyards, Kazumi Wines, Six Cloves Wines - as collaborators for this special event. Their deeply rooted and insightful stories were shared at Winemakers Talk, accompanied by a wine-pairing bento box by Yatai Japanese Food Catering.

Nippon Kobo Vol. 2
~Ma (間): The Space Between All Things ~
Chamber Music + Calligraphy

Date: Sunday, November 2nd, 2025
Location: Gray Area Grand Theater, 2665 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

The season-opening event showcased a chamber music program by Japanese composers, real-time calligraphy performance by Aoi Yamaguchi, and a special talk by Miryam Sas (Professor of Comparative Literature and Film & Media at the University of California, Berkeley). The program spotlighted the world premiere performance of a new work by Hiroya Miura for chamber ensemble and calligrapher. Along with leading Japanese artists, local musicians, creators, entrepreneurs, and participants, we shared the experience of exploring a Japanese aesthetic – Ma (間): The Space Between All Things.

Featuring:
Amy Ahn, harp
Carlos Alvarez, percussion
Haruka Fujii, percussion
Ráyo Furuta, flute
Clayton Luckadoo, clarinet
Michael Minor, double bass
Hiroya Miura, composer
Shota Otaguro, percussion
Miryam Sas, writer, scholar, and professor of Comparative Literature and Film & Media
Chris P. Thompson, percussion
Aoi Yamaguchi, calligraphy

Nippon Kobo Family: Percussion Music Concert

June 1st, 2025 at 4pm

TCHO Chocolate Tasting Room, 3100 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

Artists:

Nippon Kobo Percussion Ensemble

Kobo Sessions #1: Del Sol Quartet x Sake Masters x Bento Box

May 17th, 2025 at 6pm

San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Barbro Osher Hall

Collaborators:

Haruka Fujii, percussion

Del Sol Quartet, string quartet

David Sakamoto from Jizake Quest, Oakland

Yoshihiro Sako from Den Sake Brewery, Oakland

Jake Myrick and Noriko Kamei from Sequoia Sake, San Francisco

Todd Eng, Sake educator, discussion moderator

Hanaizumi Japanese Restaurant

Launch Event: Nippon Kobo Vol. 1 - Seasons -

Sunday, September 15th, 2024
Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, Gallery 308

Collaborators

Music:

Haruka Fujii, Nippon Kobo creative director, percussion

Erika Oba, composer

Jeffrey Anderle, bass clarinet

Kyle Bruckmann, oboe

Rika Fujii, percussion

Divesh Karamchandani, percussion

Jamael Smith, bassoon 

Leslie Tagorda, clarinet

Art:

Dice Tsutsumi - Nippon Kobo artistic advisor, animation film director

Asaki Oda - visual artist

Food:

Shigeru Asagiri, president and CEO of COEDO brewery

Bernal Cutlery

Milk Cloud Bakery

Yatai Japanese

Our spring 2025 events are presented in collaboration with friends of Nippon Kobo