Born in Sendai, Japan. Her first step for koto was the lesson from her grandmother and mother. Starting in 1989 she took lessons from Tadao Sawai and Kazue Sawai. She took the traditional Shamisen and jiuta-singing lessons from Nobuko Yokota. While she was in Sophia University, Tokyo, she joined the Sawai Kazue koto Ensemble world tour (Austria, Ukraine, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, France, and middle and south America.) and participated in recordings by d'c records.
Education
After graduating from the University, she became a private pupil (Uchideshi), living with master Sawai and for 2 and half years trained to seek the path to be a professional Koto player.
Naoko finished 1-year academy program of the NHK (Japanese National Broadcasting Company) School for Performance of Traditional Japanese Instruments.
She passed certifying examination for a master's license of Sawai school with the highest score, also she received honor prizes from competitions for Koto and Japanese traditional Instrument Subsequently.
She was selected as a cultural internship student by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan and learned Western music theory, Rythmic training, Noh-music singing, and Noh-Rythm.
In 2007, Naoko received a year-long fellowship from the Japanese Government`s "Overseas Study Programme for Artists" to work in Frankfurt, Germany, where she currently is a member of IEMA ( International Ensemble Modern Academie). From this experience, she has been expanding her skills in contemporary and ensemble music.
Projects
2009, she played at the Agiago festival (Italy), "Refugium" Crosssound festival (Alaska, U.S.A), Japanese week in Yemen (Sanaa, Yemen).
2012 she played at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia ( Madrid, Spain ), a project by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra " Move in international Berlin," International Fredener Music Festival, and participated in the recording for Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé / Barcelona Special Edition (Island Records).
2014 she played at Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo. she joined the dance project composed by Adriana Hoelszky in Ballet am Rhein, Dusseldorf. 2016 she played at Mozart Sommer festival at National Theater Mannheim (Jul.) played for official opening HomePlace for Seamus Heaney who received the 1995 Nobel prize in Literature at Bellaghy, Irland (Sep.).
Dec. 2017-Jan.2018, she played at Ballet am Rhein for A. Hoelszky composition, Martin Schlaepfer choreograph “Roses of Shadow”
Juli. 2022 She played at Bregenz Festspiele as Solist with Winner symphony orchestra.
Naoko has been active for new works and collaborating widely with artists in other fields (dance, drama, and art). And she plays classic koto music, classic chamber music, modern and contemporary, improvisation and etc.. she has a large repertoire.
Now
Now she performs and teaches regularly in a foothold in Frankfurt(Germany) and Tokyo(Japan) She is a member of AsianArt Ensemble (Belin), Eric Schaefer Jazz quartet “Kyoto mon Amor and Trickster Orchestra.