Classical connections with Japan - Telegraph Back in central Tokyo, I am fortunate to live very close to the Tokyo Opera City complex, next door to which is the New National Theatre and Opera Palace. The venues host a range of concerts from serious opera to free lunchtime chamber music recitals, the latter attended mainly by the retired folk of the area. So to continue my own retirement routine, I started to go along on a regular basis. Not surprisingly, the musicians are mainly Japanese, but rather than sandwiches, a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards, it's off for a bowl of ramen noodles. Recently, NHK World (the local BBC World equivalent) filmed the recital and as the only foreigner who attends the events on a regular basis, I was approached for a short interview about the monthly programme of free music. My wife and I also enjoy the regular concerts and opera, and a year ago I was once again reminded of England and the beautiful Suffolk coast when we enjoyed a performance of Britten's Peter Grimes, marking the start of the composer's centenary celebrations in Japan. Before the performances begin there is always a poignant reminder of the potential for further natural disasters as an announcement in Japanese and English seeks to assure the audience that the state of the art buildings are constructed using the latest earthquake protection technology, and to remain calm in case of a "shake." Earlier this year, it was the Royal Festival Hall connection again when the resident Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen from Finland came to the Tokyo Opera City right on my doorstep. Before the concert started, one of the players and a member of staff were demonstrating the Philharmonia's latest iPad application which gave an expose of the orchestra and its instruments. I started talking to the musician, and as one does so often as an icebreaker overseas, I asked him where in the UK he came from. When he answered Northampton, which is my birthplace as well, I felt just a little nearer to my own roots through meeting the orchestra's principal clarinettist. The Opera Palace in Tokyo (pic: Jeremy Hill) I've been back in Japan for two years now, and despite my love for the country and the people, naturally there are times when homesickness for England still kicks in. A fortnight ago, Mr Otaka was there once more to help at the Opera Palace. In the presence of the Crown Prince and Princess,he conducted the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and New National Theatre Chorus in a programme dedicated to British composers. They started with Delius" The Walk to the Paradise Garden, which for me evoked images of English green fields and rolling countryside. As could be expected from the first Japanese holder of the Elgar Medal he followed this with Sea Pictures. The second half of the concert was taken up by Walton's Balthazaar's Feast, to the delight not only of a very appreciative and knowledgeable Japanese audience, but also this British expat who felt that much closer to England for a couple of hours through the magic of music. Jeremy Hill spent 35 years working as a British diplomat. He was posted to Japan twice in his career and stayed there after he retired. He now works as an English language teacher and corporate trainer.