Kazufumi Tsukimoto, better known as TUMI, will be a regular presence throughout the six months of Expo 2025 Osaka, bringing Fado's soul and magic to Japan's heart.
Born in Osaka, TUMI is a true ambassador of Portuguese culture in Japan. Fascinated by Fado since his university days, he specialized in Musicology and dedicated his thesis to this unique Portuguese musical genre.
Driven by passion, he moved to Lisbon, where he studied the Portuguese guitar with António Parreira at the Fado Museum. During this time, he had the opportunity to accompany renowned Fado singers Teresa Tarouca and José Manuel Barreto, mastering the art of traditional Fado accompaniment.
Upon returning to Japan, TUMI established Portuguese Guitar and Fado schools, published the first Portuguese guitar teaching manual in Japan in 2004, and devoted his career to promoting Portuguese culture. In 2006, he founded M.T.E.C., an organization that supports Fado and Portuguese culture through concerts, lectures, and publications. In 2016, the Fado Museum honoured him as the "Fado Ambassador in Japan," recognizing his tireless work sharing this intangible cultural heritage.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, visitors will experience unique moments with TUMI, who promises to captivate audiences with performances from Wednesday to Sunday at the Portugal Pavilion throughout the exhibition. This is an opportunity to feel the intensity and longing that define Fado, beautifully blending this traditional Portuguese music with Japanese culture.
With Kazufumi Tsukimoto's participation, the Portugal Pavilion reinforces its message, "Ocean, Blue Dialogue," celebrating the connection between Portugal and Japan through culture and music—an homage to the unity of peoples and an invitation to reflect on the future of our oceans and planet.
