Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Japan National Music Ensemble

Haruka Tachibana (Kyoko Iwamoto), whose traditional Japanese dance master's name is Kyoko Wakayagi, comes from a family deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture. From a young age, Lady Tachibana began learning traditional Japanese dance and music (koto and shamisen), later studying koto and shamisen under master teacher Tadao Sawaya. In 2000, she founded Japan Mother Earth Publishing, a company specializing in the publication of contemporary Japanese music. She continues to perform numerous concerts at Tokyo Tower and other major venues across Japan. During the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Japan in December 2019, she performed a special Japanese dance, koto performance, and kimono showcase for the Uzbek delegation at the State Guest House "Akasaka Palace." In 2021, she established and became the president of the ISMN Code Center in Japan. In 2022, she participated as an official member of ISMN and gave a speech at the ISMN International Conference in Oslo. In 2024, she was invited to participate in the "Lazgi" International Dance Festival. With the support of the Toshiba International Foundation, she donated nine kotos and twenty-five kimonos to Uzbekistan and organized workshops. The schools in Uzbekistan that received kotos and kimonos and started classes include the Glier Specialized Music School, the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, the Makom University, the State Academy of Choreography of Uzbekistan, and the "Bakhor" Dance Ensemble. This project is planned to continue over the next three years. She is actively involved in the cultural exchange center between Uzbekistan and Japan, passionately and sincerely carrying out many joint projects.