Mithila Museum & The Stone Music of Hasegawa Tokio

Outland Japan

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Episode 19 of the podcast takes us into the deep snow country of Tokamachi in Niigata, where we venture into the beautiful, heavily forested hills and minor mountains of that area, and onto the secluded Mithila Museum to speak with its director Hasegawa Tokio. An avant-garde musician and artist, Hasegawa-san founded Mithila Museum in 1982, and today, the museum houses one the world’s major collection of Mithila or Madhubani art while Hasegawa-san remains an active, innovative and legendary musician. We discuss his story, how the museum came to be, his music and of course, his love for life in the snow country in today’s interview.

Originating in the Madhubani district of Bihar – a northeastern state of India – Madhubani art is created by local women and defined by its geometrical and contrasting patterns, bold lines and colours and broad themes ranging from cosmological and ritual practices to the images of everyday life. The museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of Madhubani art, along with Warli and Gond art.
Hasegawa-san was a founding member of the avant-garde music group ‘The Taj Mahal Travellers’ during the 1970s and to this day, is an active and innovative musician. Released in 2019, ‘Stone Music’ includes recordings of performances in Japan, India and Taiwan. Blending Japanese drums, flutes, keyboards, electronic sounds, Indian instruments and captivating vocals, the music is both real and tangible while also evoking the cosmological and metaphysical terms Hasegawa-san so often speaks in.
You can find more information on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website or via the Mithila Museum website or YouTube Channel. Hasegawa-san's 'Stone Music' album can be purchase via the Bandcamp website while you can also watch the recent live performance on YouTube.
Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

Bölümler

1. Episode Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Who is Hasegawa Tokio? (00:04:10)

3. The Three Worlds of Hasegawa Tokio (00:09:31)

4. Himalyan Moon: Choosing Life in the Deep Snow (00:16:43)

5. Mithila Museum: Founding & Purpose (00:20:16)

6. The Importance of Mithila / Madhubani Art (00:22:59)

7. The 'Stone Music' of Hasegawa Tokio (00:28:59)

8. MIthila Museum: Opening Days & Times (00:34:54)

9. The Value of Life in the Snow Country (00:36:31)

10. Episode Close (00:41:15)