Japanese Harp: Akino and Yoshino Watanbe and Sumie Kaneko at TEDxBeaconStreet

Akino Watanabe, an eighth grader who is passionate about bridging Eastern and Western culture through her music, joined her younger sister, first grader Yoshino, on stage at TEDxBeaconStreet to perform traditional music on the koto, a Japanese stringed instrument. Let the Watanabe sisters, along with their koto teacher, Sumie Kaneko, transport you to another time and place with their emotionally stirring recital of "Sakura Fantasy" and "Seven Autumn Flowers." The striking sound of the centuries old instruments conveys intensity, mirrored on the faces of these young musicians whose mastery of the art has led them to perform at Harvard University Kennedy School and Tufts University.

Akino Watanabe is a kotoist (Japanese harpist) in the eighth grade who is passionate about bridging Eastern and Western culture through her music. Yoshino Watanabe is Akino's younger sister and kotoist, who loves not only koto but also the piano, drawing, clay work, and shadow puppets.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)