April 9th was the final day when the fully bloomed cherry blossoms across Kyoto coincided with clear, beautiful weather.
For me, this year’s cherry blossoms amounted solely to those I saw on April 7th at Tenryu-ji Temple and the Kyoto Botanical Garden.
In previous years, I used to take photos on the day when all the cherry blossoms reached full bloom—but this year, that alone was more than enough.
Why? Because on March 30th and April 1st, I was in Tokyo and Yokohama, listening to the most astonishing performances imaginable by the greatest violinist in history.Why has the Japanese nation not recognized the emergence of this epoch-making artist as a matter of national significance?
Why has Japan not taken the initiative to record these historic, peerless performances—an unprecedented treasure not only for Japan but for the entire world—using its world-renowned visual and audio technologies?
The politicians and media who brought about the Ishiba administration utterly lack any concept of national interest in every conceivable aspect.
A genius four years younger who emerged around the same time as her has, in effect, become the property of a German music agency and Decca.
In other words, Japan’s national interest is being lost.
It is an undeniable fact that the politicians and media who brought about the Ishiba administration have not only failed to serve the national interest but have significantly harmed it.
Moreover, they completely lack any recognition of the value of the great artistic achievement that has emerged in Japan.
While a performer of dreadnought-class caliber may have passed into the hands of Germany and the UK, one of super-dreadnought-class should be protected as a national treasure and national interest of Japan.
Because the greatest treasure in human history is, by its very nature, the ultimate form of national interest.
Inviting the Vienna State Opera to Japan for high-priced performances is not necessarily a bad thing for Japanese classical music fans, who have limited chances to experience opera at its source.

However, on March 30th at Suntory Hall’s Small Hall and April 1st at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall, Natsuho Murata—the greatest violinist in human history—performed Chausson’s Poème, a masterpiece that has been played and recorded by countless famed violinists yet remains notoriously challenging in many respects, with a performance of unimaginable caliber.

And yet, no effort has been made to prioritize documenting and recording this performance using the world’s finest visual and acoustic technology, which Japan rightfully takes pride in.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Japanese government and classical music establishment are disgracefully ignorant.
To be continued.