This piece was commissioned by the Obama Junior High School Wind Ensemble in Unzen, Japan, in 2025. The ensemble performed it as their choice piece at the All Japan Band Competition. I composed to highlight each performer's individuality.
The subject of this three-movement composition is Miguel Chijiwa, one of the Tenshō Embassy boys who journeyed to Europe by sea in 1585. The work traces the emotional and spiritual journey of this young man through music.
In the first movement, the music captures the inner conflict of stepping into the unknown - anxieties intertwined with hope - as the youth confronts the raging sea and sets off on his voyage. Amid the turbulent, wave-like swells of sound, his unwavering and determined gaze comes clearly into view.
The second movement portrays the emotional turmoil of encountering foreign cultures and the gradual opening of his spirit. Interwoven into the music are glimpses of foreign landscapes and echoes of music he might have heard. In the latter half, fragments of Mille Regretz, composed by Josquin des Prez - a piece said to have possibly reached Miguel's ears - make an appearance. While the exact repertoire he experienced remains uncertain, this quote serves as a symbolic fragment of memory from Europe.
In the third movement, a deep sense of longing for his distant homeland pervades the music. Sounds of traditional Japanese festivals and nostalgic landscapes emerge from his memories. The festival rhythms heard here are not actual traditional pieces but are imagined sounds rooted in his memory. With this vivid and celebratory music, his heartfelt prayers for his homeland blend into the final notes, bringing the work to a close.

About the Instrumentation:
- This score includes an optional part for Clarinet that can substitute for 2nd Alto Saxophone if needed.
- Timpani and Nagadō-daiko (a traditional Japanese long drum) are intended to be played by the same performer. If a Nagadō-daiko is unavailable, continue performing the Timpani part. Since some passages are written for both instruments, prioritize the Nagadō-daiko part where a switch is possible.
- Although this piece employs many traditional Japanese instruments, alternative Western instruments may be used as follows:
Kagura Suzu → Sleigh Bells
Fūrin (Wind Chime) → Finger Cymbals or Triangle
Shime-daiko → Bongo
Hyōshigi → Claves

Minimum Instrumentation:

Woodwinds
- Flute
- Clarinet 1
- Clarinet 2
- Alto Saxophone 1
- Alto Saxophone 2 (or Clarinet)
- Tenor Saxophone
- Baritone Saxophone
Brass
- Trumpet 1
- Trumpet 2
- Horn 1
- Trombone 1
- Euphonium
- Tuba
Percussion
- Percussion 1
- Percussion 2
- Percussion 3

(Daisuke Ehara)