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MISSION & VISION

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  • MISSION & VISION

The Yamagata Symphony Orchestra:
A hub to connect YAMAGATA and the world

MISSION

Shaping the Future of Rural Yamagata
Through the Joy of Orchestra

The missions of the YSO are as follows:

  • Raising the children of Yamagata together with orchestra
  • Promoting Yamagata’s attractions such as gastronomy, onsen, and local history
  • Cultivating a unified community through the performing arts
  • Nurturing cultural bearers, including wind orchestra players, choirs, and audiences
  • Pursuing professional artistry and taking a leading role in culture

VISION

Yamagata Symphony Orchestra as a Hub
Connecting YAMAGATA and the World

  • Continuing school concerts in face of the rapidly declining birthrate
  • Revitalizing Yamagata’s four cultural areas through Your Town Concerts and Subscription Concerts in shonai
  • Promoting collaboration with
    tourism resources through video
    streaming
  • Strengthening the promotion of
    Yamagata’s attractions via the
    streaming of concerts; and
  • Building a sustainable business
    foundation and improving the
    artistic nature of the company

Yamagata Attractions

Spreading the charms of Yamagata
– “Another Japan Over The Mountains”

“Yamagata—another Japan over the mountains” are the words of Edwin O. Reischauer, the former U.S. ambassador to Japan. This statement encapsulates the unparalleled beauty of Yamagata, and is engraved on the stone monument at Yamadera, where a famous mountain temple is located.
The Yamagata Symphony Orchestra continues to showcase YAMAGATA charm through its Cherry Concerts in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as via online streaming and other media.
The orchestra introduces the appeal of "YAMAGATA" both nationally and globally to attract visitors and increase theirs and the city’s overall happiness.

Yamagata - A Wonderland of Onsen and Gastronomy

  • 全ての市町村に温泉

    An Onsen in Every Municipality

    Yamagata Prefecture is blessed with famous and hidden onsen. Each of its cities, towns, and villages have natural hot springs. You can enjoy the scenery of open-air onsens surrounded by wild nature, as well as the historical hot spring resort town of Ginzan Onsen. The style and atmosphere of the hot springs vary from area to area, truly making Yamagata an onsen kingdom.

  • 健康・医療のまちづくり

    Community Development in Health and Medical Care

    Located in Yamagata City, the Yamagata University Hospital is home to the only heavy-ion cancer therapy unit in Northern Japan, and Tsuruoka is also a leading bioscience center. A traditional hot-spring cure in Kaminoyama Onsen is now evolving into Kurort, a therapeutic bath. Yamagata aims to be a place where people can live healthily and happily, regardless of age.

  • パワースポット・祈りの聖地

    Power Spots and Sacred Sites

    Yudono-san is one of the three mountains of Dewa Sanzan, and is the innermost sanctum. Due to its sacredness, it is forbidden to speak or hear of it. The belief in Sokushinbutsu, the Buddhist practice of self-mummification to save others, was born here, a pure and sacred site.

  • キャッチフレーズは「おいしい山形」

    Keyword: Delicious Yamagata

    Yamagata is not only famous for its cherries, but also for its brand rice, such as Tsuyahime and Yukiwakamaru. At restaurants, with Dadachamame (green soybeans) as an appetizer, you can choose between Yonezawa beef, brand pork, or fish from the Shonaihama beach as a main dish. For dessert, you can taste a variety of fresh fruits such as watermelons, melons, grapes, apples, and La France pears. There are also excellent sake breweries and wineries. Gastronomy and sake are the pride of Yamagata.

  • 歴史遺産が練習場

    A Historical Heritage Site as a Rehearsal Venue

    When we post pictures of our rehearsals on social media, people often tweet back saying "Wow! It looks like Europe." The YSO's rehearsal venue is a council hall at Bunshokan, a former prefectural office building, built in 1916. The site is an important cultural asset of Japan. The architecture is based on the English Renaissance style.

  • 四季あざやかに癒しあふれる

    A Calming Place with Four Vibrant Seasons

    Yamagata is one of the hottest places in Japan in the summer and gets heavy snowfalls in winter. After the snow melts, Yamagata is awash with the vivid colours of flower buds in the spring and changing leaves in autumn. Residents of Yamagata live in harmony with the four distinct seasons. Surrounded by mountains, Yamagata has the largest number of natural beech forests and waterfalls in Japan. The area is filled with healing negative ions from the waterfalls and phytoncides from the forests.

Creating A Unique Harmony

The above MISSION & VISION describes our ideal image for the future of Yamagata Symphony Orchestra. To achieve this goal, we implement the following initiatives.

We will continue refining
our appeal as an
orchestra that puts on
spectacles, and introducing
YAMAGATA to the world
under the leadership of
Tetsuro Ban,
our Principal Conductor.

  • We put holding regular concerts at the core of projects with an attendance rate of over 90%.

  • We revitalize Yamagata’s four cultural areas through Your Town Concerts and Subscription Concerts in shonai

  • We hold school concerts that are fundamental to nurturing creativity and expanding the scope of the orchestra.

  • We embrace online distribution strategies to spread the charm of the YSO and Yamagata through touring concerts and streaming.

MESSAGE FROM US

  • 阪 哲郎

    Message
    from
    Tetsuro Ban

    -Principal Conductor-

    The YSO shapes 
    its own sound

    It has been four years since I became the Principal Conductor of the Yamagata Symphony Orchestra. We have been working together for more than twenty years since our first collaboration. It was an unforgettable experience for us to work on the "Beethoven Symphony Series" and the opera "Turandot" during the last year's COVID-19 pandemic.
    Many of the performances were streamed online, bringing our harmony to people in Japan and other countries, attracting new YSO fans who were previously unfamiliar with the orchestra. Through modern technological means, such as Twitter, we were able to perform concerts and stream together with our distant listeners to create a sense of togetherness. It was a magical and unforgettable experience unique to this day and age.
    I have spent nearly 30 years in Europe, and I have found similarities in Yamagata such as rich nature, history, culture, and a local atmosphere. I truly respect Mr. Murakawa's innovative spirit in founding the YSO here in Yamagata, and the precise ensemble that Mr. Iimori has developed. Using these as our foundation, I hope that we can put on a great performance, reflecting on the composer's passion and developing the individual musical expression of each member. We would be elated if our orchestra can be the gateway for you to discover the unique charm of Yamagata. See you there!

  • 園部 稔

    Message
    from
    Minoru Sonobe

    -President-

    The Yamagata Symphony Orchestra recently celebrated its 50th anniversary since its founding in 1972. The YSO has delivered the excitement of live orchestra to over three million children through its school concerts, which we started with a hope that children would develop a vibrant sense of creativity. We believe that experiencing live orchestra is the most precious investment for the future generation. We are deeply grateful for the support and cooperation that have let us keep performing for fifty years and continue our musical initiatives tied to the local community.
    Although the YSO is located in the countryside, we can see Japan and the world ahead of us. We will continue to spread the word about Yamagata, blessed with fascinating nature, history, and gastronomy, and the sound of YSO created in the fresh, clean air.
    With an aim to bridge Yamagata and the world, we will create a more open orchestra, and we sincerely hope we will receive your continued support and encouragement.

DONATE & JOIN

Moving From A Tokyo-Centric Society
To a Future Full of Unique Local Charms

We kindly ask for your support for our continuous activities to nurture children's creativity and to share the beauty of Yamagata, a place blessed with rich history, culture, and nature.