Japanese Koto  

Saeko Kujiraoka studied the Ikuta technique of koto playing in Tokyo, Japan.

She later received an advanced degree in Koto, Sangen and classical singing from the Michio Miyagi School of Koto in Japan.

She established the U.S. based Koto Eda Group in 2000. 

Her diverse collaborative work includes the Harp & Koto duo “Harp & Koto Stories” with harpist Miriam Suzuki, performances with the “Japan America Chamber Ensemble”, and appearances with jazz and bossa nova group “Sunset Jave”, among others.

Saeko has contributed to numerous recording projects, including film soundtracks such as Kung Fu Panda, and album recordings for internationally recognized artists including Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun) and M.I.A., as well as other cross-genre collaborations.

During the 2019 New Year’s Day’s Rose Parade in Pasadena CA, Saeko played the Koto on top of a Japanese garden float created by the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association. 

For the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Saeko played the 13-stringed Koto and the 17-string (bass) Koto in the “Tokyo Imagine” arrangement by Hans Zimmer.

Saeko also performed in Genshin Impact’s “Melodies of and Endless Journey” 2022 concert and recordings for video game music such as League of Legends.

Based in Los Angeles, Saeko teaches private lessons and performs regularly at colleges, libraries, museums, retirement homes, and cultural institutions across the United States and Japan.