The Kyoto International Music Therapy Center in Kyoto, Japan


Kazumi Yamamura (left) is a talented musician, composer and teacher. He was the director of the Kyoto Conservatory of Music and collaborated with Alan Wittenberg in 1993 to start an Kyoto International Music Therapy Center. Mr. Yamamura is still a consultant to the Center and teaches part time at the Kyoto Conservatory. In addition he has started his own private music school and studio in Kyoto. He is shown last Fall 2005 with Kazue Shinji (left on right), who is a translator and instructor with the International Program at Ritsumei Kan University in Kyoto. Ms. Shinji is also a consultant for the Center, and has been Alan Wittenberg’s translator since 1992. She has translated for international music therapy conferences and seminars in Japan and in Maine. She has translated two classic music therapy texts from English into Japanese; “Music Therapy in Palliative Care by Susan Monroe and “A Healing Heritage by” Paul Nordoff.

Alan Wittenberg, Ms. Shinji, and Mr. Yamamura have jointly collaborated over many years on projects to develop music therapy in Japan, and worked to promote international cultural exchange and travel. Mr. Wittenberg travels regularly to the Kyoto Music Therapy Center in Japan, and in the USSR, to the St. Petersburg Center for Music Therapy.

At a festive gathering of Music Therapy friends in Kyoto in the fall of 2005, (on the far left), Mr. and Mrs. Lee, who are Taiwanese. He is the owner of large nursing home and pharmaceutical company in Taiwan. Mr. Lee is interested in employing music therapy techniques at his nursing home. To their right, are Mr. and Mrs. Hayashi. Mr. Hayashi owns a nursing home in the city of Tenri, Japan.Alan Wittenberg has trained staff, performed demonstrations and clinical music therapy at his nursing ten times in the last ten years. Mr. Wittenberg and Mr. Hayashi have also held a International Music Therapy Conference in Japan in 2004, where they brought together specialists from Russia, Sweden, Japan and the US.

Alan Wittenberg, (second from right) is a Certified Music Therapist and is the director of the Surry Music Therapy Center in Maine USA; Kazue Shinji (on the far right), has been Alan’s translator since 1992.

View some of our favorite photos of the Japanese Center in Our Photo Gallery.