Internationally acclaimed shamisen (three-string Japanese banjo) master Hidetaro Honjoh offers a traditional-style concert featuring works from the hauta repertoire, the quintessential “pop music” of mid-19th century Japan. Let this virtuoso of Edo-period love songs gently serenade and transport you to the streets of pre-modern Tokyo. The program also includes tunes from the working class of various rural areas that radiate a tender, à la mode vibe. Awarded Japan’s highest honor for artists, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, Hidetaro restores gems from this fading genre of music from the end of the samurai era. Joined by his brilliant young protégé Hidejiro Honjoh on shamisen and kokyu, and New York’s own Yumi Kurosawa on koto.