On September 12th, 2026, I went to a concert for an artist named Ichiko Aoba in Kyoto. She is a Japanese artist who debuted in 2010 and has made eight albums since then. This concert, “長月の珠に憑りし瑠璃の聲,” was a solo acoustic live performance. Before this, she had completed a two-year world tour at venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
In this article, I want to share my experience at Ichiko’s concert and guide you to her inspirational music.
I had known Ichiko since she released her album “Luminicent creatures” in 2025, and was drawn to her magical voice and the instruments used in the songs. Her music is a genre that I normally don’t listen to often. Her voice is fragile and soft, and some of her songs are heavily based on the instrument. So, as much as I was excited to see her live, I didn’t know what to expect at her concert, because I was used to concerts where people were screaming out the lyrics and dancing.
The moment when Ichiko appeared on stage, no one screamed or called her name; it was just people gently clapping. As she sat down, she started to play her first song, “Space orphans”, then continued to “Down in the Adan”, “FLAG”, Ikinokori●Bokura”, etc.
Hearing her live made me realise that her voice was soft, but had strength in it. That kind of voice that is difficult to articulate, blends perfectly with the sounds of the guitar and the piano she used so naturally.
Listening to her felt like floating up in the sky on the clouds, almost feeling sleepy because of the dreamy, ambient atmosphere Ichiko creates.
Coming back from the concert, I started to search more about Ichiko.
Paying attention to her lyrics made me notice that many of her songs relate to her childhood experiences, nostalgia, loneliness, or the simple joy she finds in her life. Although most of her songs are in Japanese, her fans from all over the world show that the connection she creates with her music goes beyond linguistic barriers and touches people’s hearts with the genuine power of music.
After seeing Ichiko’s collaborative work with iconic artists from different generations, such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haroumi Hosono, and Mac DeMarco, it shows her appreciation for music and the inspiration she draws to create her own.
On another note, seeing a video of her and Derrick Gee especially shows what kind of music Ichiko enjoys and the background stories behind how she writes her songs.
Discovering Ichiko Aoba was one of the best things that has ever happened to me, because it changed my perspective on how I view music, and that we don’t necessarily have to categorise every kind of music into something, but just enjoy it as it is.
So, if you ever feel like your playlist is becoming redundant and boring, just remember you can never get bored with music!!!