Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
Saudi Arabia Pavilion
YOKYO
Enter the resonance. Voice, erhu and plant music woven into an immersive nonverbal sound journey.
YOKYO creates a living sonic environment through voice, erhu, plant-generated sound, singing bowls, bells and improvisation. Each performance is shaped by the place, the people and the atmosphere of that moment.
About YOKYO
A sound experience created in the moment
YOKYO is a collaborative sound project by erhu artist Haruyo Kimura and voice and plant-music artist Kackey.
Rather than reproducing a fixed composition, they listen to the room, the breath of the audience, the natural environment and the changing responses of the plants, allowing the music to unfold in real time.
The result can become a space for contemplation, mindfulness, artistic immersion, cultural exchange or a deeper connection with nature and place.
Not simply a concert,
but an experience of being
inside the resonance.
Human and plant,
sound and space,
breath and stillness
become one.
Selected Highlights
International experience and artistic practice
YOKYO brings together two artists whose work has developed across international stages, sacred sites, cultural exchange and nature-based sound practice.
Performances at shrines,
temples and sacred sites in Japan
International performances in
India, Nepal, Malaysia and Russia
Audience Award
Moscow International A Cappella Festival
Official Artist
Music of the Plants
Introduction Film
Experience YOKYO in 60 seconds
Voice, low drone tones, Nepalese hand bells and erhu are layered live through looping, gradually forming an evolving field of overtones.
Elements
The sounds within YOKYO
YOKYO brings together instruments and sonic traditions from different cultures, creating a nonverbal experience that can be shared beyond language.
Voice
Wordless vocal expression, deep drone tones and overtone-rich improvisation create a resonance felt as much through the body as through the ears.
Erhu
The erhu has an expressive tone often compared to the human voice. Haruyo Kimura uses it to evoke emotion, memory and landscape.
Plant Music
A dedicated device translates subtle electrical changes in a plant into sound, allowing the plant to become an active presence in the performance.
Singing Bowls
Sustained vibrations and layered overtones create spaciousness, stillness and a lingering resonance throughout the venue.
Hand Bells
Small bells collected through travel, including Nepalese hand bells, bring sonic memories of place into the performance.
Improvisation
Every performance responds to the venue, natural environment and presence of the audience, making each experience unique.
Music of the Plants
What is plant music?
Electrodes are connected to a plant’s leaf and root area. A dedicated device reads subtle electrical variations within the plant and translates them into musical data.
The sound is not a prerecorded soundtrack. It changes in real time according to the plant’s condition and the surrounding environment.
In YOKYO, the plant is not treated as an instrument to be controlled. The artists listen and respond to the sound that emerges, creating a shared dialogue between human and plant.
For Organizers
Where YOKYO can be experienced
YOKYO can be adapted to the scale, theme and atmosphere of each event, from a short artistic presentation to a participatory workshop or an extended immersive sound journey.
Retreats
For reflection, rest, inward listening and a deeper connection with nature.
Wellness Events
Alongside mindfulness, yoga, breathwork and other wellbeing programs.
Hotels & Resorts
As a distinctive cultural and sensory experience for guests.
Temples & Sacred Sites
For contemplative programs, offerings and place-based cultural experiences.
Museums & Galleries
As live sound art in dialogue with exhibitions, architecture and space.
Festivals
A nonverbal performance accessible to international audiences.
Nature Settings
Forests, waterfalls, gardens and farms, incorporating the living soundscape.
Corporate & Educational Programs
Supporting listening, creativity, sensitivity and wellbeing.
Cultural & Inbound Programs
Sharing Japanese instruments, nature-based perspectives and local stories beyond language.
Places & Encounters
Every performance is created for the place
From sacred sites and natural landscapes to international stages and intimate participatory gatherings, Kackey has created music in dialogue with many different places and communities.
Interested in bringing YOKYO to your venue?
We welcome conversations about performances, retreats, residencies, cultural programs and site-specific collaborations.
Request InformationFilms
Watch the work
YOKYO Studio Session
A six-minute studio document of voice, erhu, bells and live looping.
How Plant Music Is Recorded
A closer look at the device, connection process and recording method.
Plant Music × Voice Improvisation
Voice and original song responding to sound generated by a living plant.
Plant Music in Nature
A session at Shirafuji Waterfall where land, plant sound and movement meet.
Artists
The artists behind YOKYO
Haruyo Kimura
Erhu
An erhu artist based in Kobe, Japan, with more than twenty years of continuous stage experience. Her work spans film music, international festivals, sacred performances and contemporary cross-cultural projects. In 2026, UK music-production brand Auddict released Imperial Erhu, an official sound library built entirely from her playing and containing more than 13,000 samples.
Selected Highlights
- Auddict Imperial Erhu released worldwide in 2026
- Performed on “Minnalvala,” the theme song from the Indian film Narivetta
- Performed at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
- Selected by Erhu no Tomo as one of ten artists shaping a new era of erhu in Japan
- Dedicated performance at Kongobu-ji Temple, Mount Koya
- Performed at Mysore Dasara in South India and the Japan–Korea Exchange Festival
- Listed by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a cultural figure
- Contributed to film soundtracks and a nationally broadcast NHK radio drama
Kackey
Voice · Plant Music · Percussion
A Japan-based artist connecting people, nature and place through voice, djembe and Plant Music. His work combines improvisation, participatory practice and immersive sound experiences in festivals, sacred sites, cultural venues and natural environments. In 2025, he performed for six weeks at the Saudi Arabia Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
Selected Highlights
- Six-week engagement at the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
- Audience Award, Moscow International A Cappella Festival 2024
- Special presentation and live demonstration on “The Resonance of Plant Music and Voice” at the Japanese Society of Vocal Arts Summer Seminar, Tokyo University of the Arts
- International performances in India, Nepal, Malaysia and Russia
- Dedicated performances at Mount Koya, Sumiyoshi Taisha, Izanagi Jingu and other sacred sites in Japan
- Official Plant Music Artist
- Creator of participatory and immersive programs combining voice, Plant Music and percussion
Inquiry
Bring a new field of resonance
to your place.
YOKYO can be adapted for retreats, wellness events, hotels, museums, galleries, sacred sites, festivals and natural environments. We welcome early-stage inquiries and can propose a format suited to your venue, audience and purpose.
Request Information
YOKYO — The Art of Lingering Resonance
Kackey Official Website