Music and gourmet food celebrate the 10th anniversary of Record Day.

It's gotten quite cold. How is everyone doing?
By the way, November 3rd is "Record Day." Did you know that? To be honest, I didn't know either.
I received an invitation from Teruhisa Kitahara, the director of the Yokohama Tin Toy Museum and a collector, with whom I have a close relationship.

I heard that the "Record Day" 10th Anniversary Thanksgiving Festival was being held at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama, and although I was only invited on the day itself, my schedule was free, so I was able to attend.

I had the pleasure of performing several joint concerts (concerts featuring multiple musicians) with Mr. Kitahara at the New Grand Hotel during the time of Commodore Perry's arrival. It's a very large venue with a view of the sea.
This year's Thanksgiving event was held in the Rainbow Room of the old building. Record industry professionals from all over the country gathered, creating a wonderful atmosphere that felt like a scene from a movie. The room's interior was predominantly wine red, and there was even a grand piano on the stage.

I was invited to play a piece if I liked, and the atmosphere was so pleasant that I decided to play Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance." I had been listening to a beautiful women's quartet just before dinner, and their performance was so pleasant and had such wonderful acoustics that I wanted to play as well.
As you can see, the style of a live performance changes depending on where it's played and the atmosphere in which it takes place. The weather was fine that day, and the courtyard visible from the Rainbow Room reminded me of a European garden, making it feel like I had stepped into a different world from everyday life.

And the meal this time was truly delicious! I enjoyed everything from the appetizers to the dessert. When the dessert was served, the lighting dimmed and I was excited to watch the liqueur around the ice cream burn. The flowers and candles on the table, and the smiles of the hotel staff made me feel gentle and happy.

Returning to the topic of records, I basically love old recordings and records. Hearing conversations, the voices of the musicians, and the atmosphere of the moment conveyed through the sound of the needle is incredibly soothing. I remember visiting vintage record shops in London during my student days, searching for records of my favorite musicians. This time, seeing the beautiful picture discs (records with illustrations or photographs) from the Kitahara Collection on display made records shine like works of art once again. Seeing colorful records instead of black ones brightens my mood. I would have loved to hear the rich tones of piano played on records at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama!