Profile

Profile
Established in 1902, Kyoto Tachibana High School relocated to Fushimi Momoyama in 1985 from its previous location near the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Originally an all-girls school, the institution became co-educational in 2000. Its Wind Ensemble Club was founded in 1961 by Hisashi Hiramatsu, the former Chairman of the All-Japan Band Association. As their motto says “Full of Energy, Smiles and Dreams” the band is known for their expressive performance and energetic marching steps. Their full-orange uniform has been passed down in its original design since the 1970s. The band’s high-quality performances have gained wide acclaim, leading them to march at the Rose Parade in the U.S. as well as to co-star in a music video by a major Japanese artist. They have recently recorded a music piece for a Japanese animation film created by a renowned anime director.

Band Director Yutaka Kaneshiro
Born in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in 1978. Having played the trumpet since age 10, Kaneshiro went to Yamaguchi Prefectural Yanai High School before majoring in music at Shimane University’s Faculty of Education. Kaneshiro then flew to Germany and trained under Bernhard Schmidt, a trumpet player of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. He also trained under trumpet players Hiroki Yamashiro and Akira Tanaka. As for band directing, he trained under Masaru Nakai and Hisashi Hiramatsu. In 2008, Kaneshiro became a public high school teacher in Kyoto, until he retired when Hisashi Hiramatsu endorsed him to take over his position as the Band Director of Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School Band. Kaneshiro is also the Vice Chairman of the Kyoto High School Band Association.