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Publications
Japanese Professional Orchestras Yearbook
Japanese Professional Orchestras Yearbook 2024
Program of Subscription Concerts (Full Members, 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024)
The backnumbers (2008～2023) can be accessed from here.
Annalistic Report
Access the analistic reports of all member orchestras from here.
Orchestra Performances for Children: Impact Survey
Orchestra Performances for Children: Impact Survey (JAPANESE)
Visualizing the Power of Music－The Making of this Pamphlet (ENGLISH)
Member Orchestras
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Full Members（27）
Associate Members（13）
Chiba Symphony Orchestra
The Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, Tokyo
Tokyo Universal Philharmonic Orchestra
Aichi Chamber Orchestra
Kyoto Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
Amabile Philharmonic Orchestra
The College Operahouse Orchestra
Telemann Chamber Orchestra
Kobe City Chamber Orchestra
Nara Philharmonic Orchestra
Okayama Philharmonic Orchestra
Seto Philharmonic Orchestra
Nagasaki OMURA Chamber Ensemble
Events
Asia-Pacific Region Orchestras Summit
Asia Pacific Region Orchestras Summit in Japan, March 2026
Dates: 30 March – 1 April 2026 (3 days)
The venue – MUZA Kawasaki
The Summit will be held in the same building as MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall.
Asia-Pacific Region Orchestras Summit
In 1997, for the very first time, orchestra representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered together. The inaugural Asia-Pacific Orchestra Summit revealed and shared the vibrant activities of orchestras in neighboring countries. Recognizing the importance of this international conference, it has since been held every two to three years.
Although the 13th Summit was scheduled to take place in Korea in 2020, it was inevitably cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2026, after a decade-long interval, the Summit will return to Japan. This gathering will address the pressing question of how orchestras can contribute to a society that has undergone dramatic change.
Participating Countries and Regions:
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Kazakhstan, Russia
Agenda (provisional)
Main theme: “Communicate for Orchestras in the 22nd Century: Local yet Global Orchestras Transforming Their Communities and the World.”
A wide range of topics will be explored under the theme above.
1. Mutual understanding and sharing of knowledge among Asia–Pacific orchestras
2. Orchestras as platforms for international culture: East and West, Old and New
3. Human resource development through international exchange
4. How orchestras can strengthen connections after involvement in major international events such as EXPOs and the Olympics
5. The future of education and outreach programmes
6. Librarians’ conference with a guest speaker from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra
7. What defines the “character” of an orchestra?
Please let us know whether you will be able to join us at the Summit, and which of the above topics you are most interested in. We look forward to hearing from you and to welcoming you to Japan.
History of the Asia Pacific Region Orchestras Summit
* The special website for Asia-Pacific Region Orchestras Summit is currently under construction.
Orchestra's Day
～35th Anniversary of Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras
♪ March 31 is Orchestra's Day! ♪
Established on March 31, 2007, Orchestra's Day was created by orchestras across Japan to bring the joy of orchestral music closer to everyone. In 2026, as the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras celebrates its 35th anniversary, we present an even more special Orchestra's Day under the title “Orchestra's Day ALL STAR!!” From Sapporo in the north to Fukuoka in the south, top musicians from 40 professional orchestras nationwide will gather in Kawasaki to form the Orchestra's Day All-Japan Festival Orchestra. Together with four of Japan’s leading conductors, they will deliver a one-night-only performance filled with passion and brilliance.
Date : March 31, 2026 (Tuesday)
Doors Open: 18:00 / Start: 19:00 at MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall
Conductors : Kosuke Tsunoda, Sachio Fujioka, Keiko Mitsuhashi, Naoto Otomo
Orchestra: Orchestra Day All-Japan Festival Orchestra
Program
Conductor: Kosuke Tsunoda
• Yasushi Akutagawa / Music for Symphony Orchestra
• Koichi Sugiyama /
Symphonic Suite “Dragon Quest III: And into the Legend…” – “Hero’s Theme”
Symphonic Suite “Dragon Quest IV: The Guided Ones” – “Spread the Map”
Symphonic Suite “Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age” – “Echoes of an Elusive Age”
Conductor: Sachio Fujioka
• Edvard Grieg / Two Elegiac Melodies, No. 2 “Last Spring”
• Jean Sibelius / Symphonic Poem “Finlandia”
Conductor: Keiko Mitsuhashi
• Georges Bizet / Carmen Suite No. 1
Conductor: Naoto Otomo
• Igor Stravinsky / The Firebird Suite (1919 version)
Reserve Tickets Here !
■ teket (digital tickets only)
■ Votre Ticket Center Tel. 03-5355-1280 / ■ MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall Tel. 044-520-0200
■ Ticket Pia (P code: 313-207) / ■ Lawson Ticket (L code: 35306) / ■ eplus (e+)
* A concert that welcomes audiences from age 0 will also take place on the same day.
Enjoy music together with a small orchestra in a relaxed atmosphere!
Children, juniors, and adults are all warmly welcome.
Free Admission
COMING SOON !
Asia Orchestra Week
Asia Orchestra Week 2025
Asia Orchestra Week is part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival, an annual event that has continued since 1946. Started in 2002, it invites orchestras from across the Asia–Pacific region to perform in Japan and has welcomed over 60 orchestras from 16 countries and regions. This year, concerts were held on 4 October at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center and on 13 October at MUZA Kawasaki.
Asia Orchestra Week 2025 on YouTube!
Click the banner and watch the archive of Asia Orchestra Week 2025 concerts by the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra !
Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra
Hyogo Performing Arts Center - KOBELCO Main Hall
Conductor：Daichi Deguchi Piano：Michie Koyama
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Hiroshi Ohguri: Fantasy on Osaka Folk Tunes
Mussorgsky (Orchestrated by Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Hyogo Performing Arts Center - KOBELCO Main Hall
MUZA Kawasaki Symphony Hall
Conductor：Lio Kuokman Piano：Kyohei Sorita
Charles Kwong: Festina lente (HK Phil commission, Japan premiere)
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Symposium
Hyogo Performing Arts Center - KOBELCO Main Hall
The expanding Asian orchestra market
Asia Orchestra Week 2024 on YouTube!
Click the banner and watch the archive of Asia Orchestra Week 2024 concerts by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the City of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra!
Past Events
Promising Musicians with Orchestra
English website can be accessed by clicking the banner above.
Orchestra's Day in 2025
Japanese-only website can be accessed by clicking the banner above.
About Us
Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras
Objectives
The objective of this Association is to promote and popularize symphonic orchestral music performed by professional orchestras, with the aim of improving the artistic and technical standards of orchestras in Japan. The Association aims to contribute to the development of a culturally rich and sustainable society, and to the enhancement and advancement of the cultural and artistic fields of Japan.
Activities
The Association shall conduct the following activities in order to achieve the said objectives:
1. Conducting research and study, collecting materials and information, and sharing such information on symphonic orchestral music and orchestras;
2. Planning and organizing concerts, seminars, and other events to promote and popularize symphonic orchestral music;
3. Popularizing symphonic orchestral music among the youth;
4. International exchange on symphonic orchestral music;
5. Projects that contribute to the health and enriching lives of people through music; and,
6. Other necessary activities to achieve the objectives of this Association.
* Excerpts from the bylaws (revised on June 17th, 2024) of the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras.
History
The history of symphonic orchestral culture in Japan goes back to the early 20th century, around the era of what we categorize as ‘Meiji’ when the nation started to immerse itself in Western culture. Thanks to the hardworking forerunners who inherited this newborn culture with their tremendous efforts, we now celebrate having 40 professional orchestras in Japan, which annually provide more than 3,900 concerts.
Although the cultural growth was interrupted by the disastrous events of World War II, once the country regained its composure, Japan was ready for the time to flourish as a cultural nation. Several professional orchestras were born one after the other throughout the country; the Agency for Cultural Affairs was established anew under the Ministry of Education, Science Sports and Culture, and they began supporting the activities of those professional orchestras. It was a natural phenomenon to see the orchestras in Tokyo and elsewhere come into operation to give concerts.
Tokyo Orchestra Club was formed in 1964 and reorganized in 1978 as the Japanese Symphony Orchestras Liaison Conference. The organization primarily offered opportunities to the administration staff working at orchestras in the Tokyo area to connect and share their ideas on various issues they faced. As for the orchestras situated outside of Tokyo, the Association of Regional Orchestras was formed in 1972. The relationship between these two institutions was deepened, and the organization of the National Orchestral Association was unanimously approved in a joint meeting in 1989. In July 1990, the Association of Japanese Symphony Orchestras (AJSO) was formed as a private organization by NAGAOKA Minoru as Chairman of the Board and the officials from 18 orchestras as Directors.
AJSO conducts research and studies on orchestral administration, offers education for people associated with symphonic orchestral music, provides opportunities for international exchange, and arranges other highly public programs. Recognizing the achievements in such activities, the Association was approved as an aggregate corporation by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (where the Agency for Cultural Affairs belongs) on January 31, 1995. We also host seminars on arts management, including the first-ever international conference, “Orchestra Summit in Japan”, for orchestral administrators based in Asia in November 1997. We also presented a series of concerts called “Evening of Contemporary Orchestral Masterpieces of Japan” every year between 2000 and 2010. Since 2002, AJSO has been assigned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs to produce “Asia Orchestra Week”, where we invite acclaimed orchestras from the Asia-Pacific region and provide concerts, including the works by Asian composers.
AJSO articulates the importance of classical music in modern society and actively continues to work for the genre’s development and expansion in Japan.