Elizabeth Falconer, a former Japan Times hogaku columnist, lives in Seattle now, but in the many years she spent in Japan she steeped herself in Japanese culture, including winning a koto teacher's certificate from the late Tadao Sawai, one of the greatest koto masters of the 20th century. Since her return to the U.S. she has lectured, taught and performed widely, using her knowledge of Japanese culture and music to promote international understanding. She is a regular at the Northwest Folklife and Bumbershoot festivals, and performs often at the Seattle Asian Art Museum.
In her latest venture she has founded her own record label, Koto World. The label's first release, "Plum Boy! and Other Tales from Japan," features Falconer herself telling five Japanese folk tales in English, with koto accompaniment. Falconer says she initially began telling the stories to her own young sons, but then, seeing the potential, she took her musical storytelling to libraries, children's centers, festivals and other places where children gather.
The five tales on the album are "Plum Boy," "Kumo the Spider," "Issunboshi," "Shiro and Kuro" and "The Tale of the Snail." Falconer hopes that the old Japanese stories retold in English may find an audience in Japan as well.