Gothic was commissioned by the distinguished Omagari Philharmonic Wind Society (Akita, Japan). It received its world premiere at the ensemble's annual concert in May 2006. Afterward, the composer revised the work, and a shorter competition version was premiered by the same ensemble at the Akita Prefecture Band Competition in July of that year.
The Omagari Wind Orchestra went on to perform Gothic at the National Band Competition in October, delivering a performance of remarkable intensity and earning a well-deserved Gold Award. Both the original premiere and the premiere of the revised competition version were conducted by Rui Kozuka. His remarkable skill in constructing the music, together with the ensemble's unified and richly expressive performance, played an invaluable role in bringing this work to life. The composer expresses her heartfelt gratitude to both the conductor and the orchestra. Prior to this publication, the work underwent a second revision, resulting in the present definitive edition. The performance time is approximately nine and a half minutes.
The work alternates between passages of passionate, dreamlike music and eerie waltzes. The fantasy sections require a deep, resonant sonority with a strong sense of breadth and depth. In contrast, in the waltz sections, performers are required to shape this challenging rhythm dramatically, maintaining a strong sense of drive without excessive tension.
The title Gothic is used in the sense of the mysterious, eerie, and fantastical. Although the work does not depict a specific narrative, its atmosphere was inspired by the unique world of E. T. A. Hoffmann's masterpiece The Sandman.

(Makiko Kinoshita)