Today marked the opening of the second Japanese edition of “La Folle Journée,” a festival originally founded in Nantes and now increasingly well-established in the prestigious setting of the Tokyo International Forum in Ginza, the most elegant district in the heart of Japan’s capital.

LI is present with a welcoming booth right at the entrance to the event, once again greeting musicians and enthusiasts and introducing them to the values the association promotes.

Attendance, as last year, is excellent, confirming that the positive impressions from the first edition were well founded. The increased active participation of major Japanese dealers also clearly demonstrates that, despite the continuous decline in the value of the yen — which undoubtedly discourages the purchase of high-value goods — interest in Italian violin making remains strong and steady, even within a market characterized by fluctuating dynamics over time.

It is precisely the cultural foundation behind the craft that the highly informed Japanese market seeks in a bowed instrument: an “Italian-ness” perceived in the instinctive aesthetic pursuit of classical models, echoed in the finest contemporary makers. This continuity creates intrinsic value, expressing care and love for both gesture and material, far removed from empty clichés and embodied instead in sculptural works that are able to sing.

The association has entrusted the management of the stand to Master luthiers Giulio Morassi and Bruno Fulcini, who are working to set up an exhibition space worthy of the occasion, with the support of several members who have traveled from across Italy for the event.

All that remains is to hope that the positive start will continue, allowing for a successful outcome to be assessed at the close of the exhibition.