Kaz Inaba at Kobe Shushinkan in Kobe, Japan (6/28/25)
Leading Japanese bluegrass artist Kazuhiro Inaba shared some information, photos, and videos from a series of all star concerts he headlined last month in Japan, all in celebration of his 50th year performing bluegrass in his home country.
My 50 Years in Bluegrass month has passed with so many wonderful memories of music and friends!
June 6 – I had my 50 Years in Bluegrass show at one of the oldest bluegrass clubs in Japan, Rocky Top in Tokyo.
Kazuhiro Inaba and the Bluegrass Buddies’ sold-out show was accompanied with some top bluegrass musicians in Tokyo, Yasuhisa Katoh (mandolin), Shinji Kojima (dobro), Tact Yamada (fiddle), Takumi Kodera (banjo), Johnny Saito (mandolin), Tomohiro Kondo (bass), and the ‘last-minute’ special guest, Yoshihiro Arita, sat in with his awesome banjo picking. My daughter, Alisa and Miu as a duo group did a fantastic show (Japanese Pop) between our sets. So nice to have two American friends (Taylor Hay and Andi Mullin) from Bristol, VA came to our show. They just arrived in Japan a day before the show! Interesting that the first live music two Americans who crossed the big pond listened to was some bluegrass music!
June 7 – The Inaba Brothers had our 50th Anniversary show at Yorozu-Bar in Nagoya, Japan. My older brother, Masatoshi Inaba played the mandolin, with me on the guitar. We had a guest band – the Black Mountain Ramblers (Rika Kawakami, Kazumi Hattori, Yukina Suganuma). The Black Mountain Ramblers played the old-time music which my father, the late Etsuro Inaba, loved so dearly throughout his life.
On June 28, we had another sold-out concert, 50 Years in Bluegrass at Kobe Shushinkan in Kobe, Japan.
The show started with my first banjo teacher, Tamotsu Miyamoto, recalling those lessons I had in 1975, when I was 15 years old. The Inaba Brothers sang some brother duo material, and our old friend, Kazutaka Akaki ,joined the Brothers on Eight More Miles to Louisville, which was one of our father’s favorites as well. On this day, the Inaba Brothers released our first CD album, Memories (Southern Breeze Records), at the concert as our milestone for 50 years.
Another old friend of ours, 79-year-old Yoshinari Kawamoto from Wakayama, sang a couple of old songs, Mansion on the Hill and Think of What You’ve Done. The band we played in 1980s called New Smiling Mountain Boys did a reunion set of four songs. It brought us so many musical memories from when we were teenagers and in our early twenties! We are so happy that everybody got together and played music after some 40 years gone by.
I started the second set with the mandolinist, Shin Akimoto, playing the Monroe tune, Southern Flavor, and I sang Lonesome Road to Travel. The banjo player, Hitoshi Imamura, joined us on Jerusalem Ridge, and Toru Nagata, the fiddler from Okayama, joined and played Ashland Breakdown. I would like to thank Mr. Bill for the music so we could connect no matter where we live or how the time flies.
And then, Kazuhiro Inaba and the Bluegrass Ramble (Randall Cotten, Souhei Ito, Toru Nagata, and Yuji Ishihira) closed the show, with my daughter, Alisa Inaba, appearing on two songs, Bluegrass Melodies and Kentucky Waltz.
As the finale, all the musicians came back on the stage one last time and we played and sang Go Rest High on That Mountain and a gospel medley.
The audience enjoyed the three hour show, seeing so many musicians I had encountered over the last 50 years in my life. Of course, I’ve known many, many more, but the time wouldn’t allow me to bring them all on stage.
When I closed the show, I felt that it was more than a concert, it was more like a family reunion to me.
Now I feel so happy with those events, and I will keep doing my very best for the bluegrass music I love, and try to aim for the next step! We’ll see!
Kaz also shared these messages he received from his friends in the US bluegrass world, which were read out during the concerts.
Dear Kaz,
How well I remember you. Our many nights of music when I was on tour in Japan! It’s good to hear from you again! I will be coming to Japan this coming November, 2025! Thank you for singing my songs and keeping things lively! Good luck and congratulations on your life in Music! I can hear that banjo ring!
Peter Rowan
I wanted to stop for a minute on the road and write down a few recollections of my acquaintance with Kaz Inaba. Kaz is a truly unique man who shows uncommon intuition and performance skills in multiple genres. He is equally comfortable performing swing, traditional country, first generation bluegrass, and old-time songs and instrumentals. This in itself would be impressive, but I feel is extraordinary in that he does this within musical styles that are not of his own culture or native language, which should be very difficult, yet Kaz does it seemingly with ease. I cannot recall yet one other person on the earth that I know who possesses this skill.
This is commendable enough, yet Kaz carries his acquired knowledge several steps further and actively makes efforts to educate his fans regarding the meaning of the storylines in the songs. Kaz is a consummate host and band leader, a true gentleman and a dedicated artist. He has earned himself an iconic position in the field he has chosen to pursue, and I am proud to call him friend. Be well, brother.
Mike Compton
I met Kazuhiro Inaba in the early 1990s and soon thereafter he organized my first tour of Japan. Kaz accompanied and interpreted for me on that visit, and the kind and friendly nature of the Japanese fans and citizens changed my life.
Through the years of our friendship, I have witnessed him grow into a world class multi- instrumentalist, recording artist and entertainer. As an entertainer, he was an excellent “front man” for The World International Blue Grass Band. His love, study, and performance accomplishment of North American music from Stephen Foster to Bill Monroe earned him a place in my musical heart. I consider him to be a musical national treasure for the citizens of Japan.
Butch Robins
Congratulations Kaz on 50 years playing and singing bluegrass music! I know for a fact you’re very good at what you do.
Had the pleasure of picking with you in 1994 on very memorable trip to your country. Thank you for a wonderful trip!
All the best to you and most of all, keep on picking!
Larry Stephenson
Congratulations on 50 years! I think myself and many others would say that when it comes to bluegrass in Japan, you’ve been at the forefront of influential musicians. It’s amazing how you’ve helped spread the music throughout Japan and you continue to support the music through shows and your helpfulness with bands from out of town!
Miles Quale
