Music + Life

Maruyamacho in Shibuya, Tokyo, is densely populated with live music venues and nightclubs of various sizes. From the Shibuya-kei (Shibuya style) Acid Jazz era of the 1990s and Post-Rock era of the 2000s, to the recent booming Girl Group (Idol) scene, this area has continued to thrive as a birthplace of cutting-edge music scenes, the heartbeat of Shibuya culture.

WORLD FESTIVAL Inc. supports and promotes the integration of cultures through entertainment. CEO, Yuki Kondo, likens his approach to what an acoustic guitar can do; to start an impromptu jam session anywhere, by/with anybody at any given time.

In Japanese culture, there have long been “nagashi” – strolling guitarists – who play guitar and sing for customers in popular “izakaya” restaurant- bars, and represent a unique manifestation of the guitar experience in Japan. As a modern nagashi since 2008, Pari Nakayama is keeping that culture alive, continuing to brighten people's evenings with a repertoire of more than 2000 songs, including current hit songs and worldwide standards in addition to traditional nagashi songs.

Each January, more than 100,000 artists, manufacturers, press and music fans flock to Anaheim, CA for The NAMM Show – the world’s largest trade event for the music products industry. It’s an exciting week to discover new products, experience cool performances and catch up with industry friends, but it can also be loud and hectic! With that in mind, we created the NAMM House Sessions.