Since their debut, Akiko Yano has continued to stand out as Japan’s leading artist in a fresh, genre-defying style that resists being boxed into categories, while Hiromitsu Agatsuma—one of Japan’s foremost shamisen players who, while rooted in tradition, has carried “tradition and innovation” across genres and borders both in Japan and abroad—forms a collaborative unit with Yano. Yano and Agatsuma make their Billboard Live debut. Having first collaborated in New York in September 2014, they have since deepened their friendship and launched as a unit in 2019. In 2020, they released their first album, Asteroid and Butterfly, which, through their two perspectives, elevated traditional folk songs born from and handed down through daily Japanese life into new music, drawing wide attention. Look forward to a breathtaking performance that only the two of them—who have performed on stages around the world and continually embraced new challenges—can create.

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※This performance will be conducted with a seating arrangement designed for COVID-19 infection-control measures.
※Before attending, please be sure to check the "Requests for Customer Cooperation" section on the COVID-19 Countermeasures page.
※Video recording may take place during this performance, and you may appear in the footage; please understand in advance.