Yuuka Ryu: Music, Movies, and Cakes

2020/12/16

I have loved the piano since I was a child. During my student days, as the chairperson of the Tokyo Six Universities Piano Federation, I took on various challenges under the theme of social contribution through music. Through those activities, I was invited by the editor-in-chief of the music magazine "Monthly Chopin" and began working in magazine editing. I was fascinated by the job of delivering the raw voices of world-renowned artists to readers, and I decided to continue on that path after graduation.

Meeting the late Hiroko Nakamura, a pianist and a senior alumna of Keio, through my coverage of international competitions had a profound impact on my life. I was deeply encouraged by her words: "You always write exactly what I want to say, so I can always feel at ease during your interviews." She treated me like her own daughter and often served me delicious home-cooked meals. The final request from my benefactor was, "I want you to help establish the Paderewski Association of Japan." I received her strong desire to contribute to the development of future generations through activities connecting Poland and Japan. Just as I launched the association with Hiroyuki Hosoda, a member of the House of Representatives, Ms. Nakamura passed away.

In 2017, Riku Onda's novel "Honeybees and Distant Thunder," which became the first work ever to win both the Naoki Prize and the Japan Booksellers' Award, was an ensemble drama set at an international piano competition. Just after returning from covering the Chopin Competition, I happened to be introduced to the editor of this work by a friend. Wanting many people to discover the charm of classical music through this novel, I collaborated with Gentosha to launch a streaming service on Naxos Japan where listeners could hear the pieces performed by the characters. In response to strong requests from fans wanting a CD, we released the "Honeybees and Distant Thunder Music Collection."

Through that connection, I participated in the production of the movie "Honeybees and Distant Thunder," released in 2019, as a music supervisor. Over the course of about a year and a half, I gained irreplaceable experience and wonderful colleagues in the process of creating a single work with specialists from various fields.

And this year, I decided to pursue a new dream I've had since childhood: "working at a cake shop." Currently, I am helping to brighten customers' happy moments at the famous French pastry shop "Arnaud Larher" in Hiroo. Wishing to be someone who can enjoy any situation in this one-and-only life, I am excited about the new encounters that surely lie ahead.