My name is Tim Burns. Combining my enthusiasm for traditional American music with my love of Japan has deepened and enriched both interests. After seeking out bluegrass music on my visits to Japan, I have made many friends who share a common interest, and have gone beyond some of the limitations of typical tourism. The history of American country music and bluegrass in Japan is fascinating, and the knowledge, enthusiasm, dedication, and high-level of musicianship from so many players in Japan is inspiring.

With this website I hope to provide some useful information and resources to others who are interested in the history, the current scene, and the future of bluegrass in Japan, including venues, performances, recurring scheduled jams, festivals, artists, etc. I rely on translation software for the information I find that is written in Japanese, and for reading Moonshiner magazine. Some of the links I provide point to information in Japanese. If you don’t read Japanese, I recommend using a web browser that can translate automatically, or you can copy and paste into Google Translate, or similar software.

I am an enthusiast and not an expert, and this site will always be a work in progress. I welcome comments, suggestions, corrections, and contributions from anyone who has an interest and information to share. I hope you find it useful. Thank you for visiting! 🪕