Contents

Hosts / Co-hosts / Sponsors
Venue

1

Tentative Schedule
ProgramCompetition Rules
Category

2~3

Entry Qualiﬁcation
Performance

Order of Performance
Accompaniment

Judging and Evaluation
Prizes and Awards
Rehearsal

Copyright

Information

Conditions of Participation
Preliminary Screening

4~5

Registration

Immigration
Participation Fee

Accommodation / Meals / Transport
Financial Assistance

Admission / Application of Visa
Contact Address

1

Preliminary Screening
Application Form

6~7

Fukushima

8~9

The 17th Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition 2024
“Inspiring singing voices, Resonating to the true skies”
21 March – 24 March 2024 Fukushima, JapanThe Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition is the biggest choral competition for small
vocal ensemble groups (2–16 singers) in Japan. Every year we invite more than 120 top levelchoirs selected from all over Japan. And now the competition is open internationally to sharethe joy of singing with people from all around the world.
Fukushima is known as the “Kingdom of Choirs” in Japan, which has a big population ofmusic fans and award-winning choirs. You are cordially invited to experience the fascinating
atmosphere of our music cities, and let your singing voices ring out together under the skythat a 19th century poet once described as the “True Sky.”
Hosted by ・Fukushima Prefecture
・Fukushima Prefectural Board of Education
・Executive Committee of the Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition
Co-hosted by Japan Choral Association, Japan Choral Association Tohoku Branch, Fukushima Chorus
League, Fukushima City, Fukushima City Board of Education, Fukushin Yume no Ongakudo(Fukushima City Music Hall)
Sponsored by Agency for Cultural Affairs, All Japan Senior High School Cultural Federation, Fukushima
Prefecture Senior High School Cultural Federation, Fukushima Prefectural Association of
Junior High School Principals, Fukushima Prefectural Association of Elementary School
Principals, Fukushima International Association, Fukushima-Minpo Co., Ltd., The Fukushima
Minyu, The Asahi Shimbun Fukushima General Bureau, The Mainichi Newspapers
Fukushima Bureau, The Yomiuri Shimbun Fukushima Bureau, Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd.,
Fukushima Branch Office, The Kahoku Shimpo, Nikkei Inc. Fukushima Bureau, Jiji Press Ltd.,
Fukushima Bureau, Kyodo News Fukushima Bureau, NHK Fukushima, Radio Fukushima,
Fukushima Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd., Fukushima Central Television, KFB (Fukushima
Broadcasting Co., Ltd.), TV-U Fukushima, Inc., FM Fukushima Co., Ltd.
Venue Fukushin Yume no Ongakudo (Fukushima City Music Hall), Grand Hall
1-1 Irie-cho, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-8117 Japan
Tentative
Schedule

Time

Wed.,
20 Mar.

Thu.,
21 Mar.

Fri.,
22 Mar.

Sat.,
23 Mar.

Sun.,
24 Mar.

Competition

10:00

Category III

12:00
14:00

Category I

Award
Ceremony

Category II

16:00

Category IV

18:00
20:00

(Hall Visit)

Award
CeremonyAward
CeremonyAward
Ceremony(Hall Visit)(Hall Visit)(Meeting for tomorrow)

Grand Champion
Competition
SpecialprogramAward
Ceremony*Open at 9:30 a.m. Start at 10:00 a.m. on 21–24 March / This schedule is subject to change by the committee.

Program ・Category Competition
・Grand Champion Competition
Competed by Gold titled choirs in each category
・Special Program*Overseas choirs will be asked to perform at the Category Competition.

1

Competition Rules
Category ・Category I : Ages 12–15
・Category II : Ages 15–18
・Category III : Ages 6–12 (up to 18)
・Category IV : Other than Category I, II and III*Ages are determined as the age of the participant on the day of 24 March 2024
*Some singers of ages 12–15 (Category I) and ages 15–18 (Category II) can participate inCategory III. However, the majority of the singers in Category Ⅲ must be between ages
6–12.
*The singers of ages 12–15 (Category I) and ages 15–18 (Category II) must sing as achildren’s choir, when in Category III.
Entry a.	The number of singers should be 2–16 (no fewer than 2 and no more than 16) andQualification
member changes for musical pieces will be approved only within the registered members.
b.	No singer shall compete as a member of more than one choir, regardless of the categories.
A conductor and an accompanist will not be included in this regulation.
c.	For Japan-based choirs, each category can only accept a single choir from the samegroup.
d.	No qualification is required for a conductor or an accompanist. For Japan-based choirs, a
principal shall approve a conductor and an accompanist for Category I, II or III.
e.	A conductor and an accompanist will be included in the singers when they sing in the
choir.
f.	The Gold titled choirs in each category shall proceed to the Grand Champion
Competition on 24 March.
g.	In principle, singers who have not registered in the category competition will not be able
to perform in the Grand Champion Competition.

Performance a.	There is no compulsory work in any category. All music pieces performed will be
determined by the competitors. Any change will not be allowed after registration.
b.	For each category, the overall duration of performance time from the beginning of thefirst piece until the end of the last piece (including time between songs) must not exceed
10 minutes.
c.	For the Grand Champion Competition, the total performance time from the beginning of
the first piece to the end of the last piece (including time between songs) must not exceed
15 minutes.
d.	Tuning musical instruments on stage is included in the performance time.
e. Failure to comply with the above rules will result in disqualification.
Order of a.	The order of performance in each category shall be determined by a lottery, drawn by
Performance
representatives from each choir on a specified date. Choirs that cannot attend the lottery

shall leave the selection to the organiser.
b.	The Category-III performance will take place during the first half of the event on 23
March, and followed by the Category-IV performance in the second half.
c.	When a conductor or an accompanist performs in more than one choir, and theirschedule in the venue is in conflict with others, the lottery will be held again to resolve
the conflict.
d.	The order of performance for the Grand Champion Competition shall be determined bylot, drawn by the organiser, and will be announced at a later date.

2

Accompaniment a.	The instruments and style of accompaniment shall be up to each competing choir.
b.	A piano (Steinway & Sons), a positive organ and a pipe organ (Marcussen & Søn) will be
provided by the organiser. The pitch of the piano will be A=442Hz.
c.	If the contestants use musical instruments other than the above, they are expected tocarry their own instruments, and will be responsible for the required expenses.
d.	If the contestants require a person to turn the pages of notes, each choir shall makeappropriate arrangements.
Judging and a.	The following judges will evaluate the competition:
Evaluation
Vytautas Miskinis (Composer), Kazunobu Kurokawa (Conductor),		

Teruaki Suzuki (Composer), Hirohisa Tsuji (Tenor),
Saeko Hasegawa (Conductor), Kazuhiro Fukunaga (Conductor),
Hiroki Fujii (Conductor)b.	The evaluation of each competition will be conducted using a round-robin system
specified separately.
c.	Results of the Category Competition and judges’ comments will be mailed to eachparticipating choir after the competition.

Prizes and a.	The competition will be evaluated in each category, and Gold, Silver, Bronze orAwardsExcellence prizes will be awarded to every participating choir in each category.

b.	In the Category Competition, Gold prizes will be awarded to the top 5 choirs in each of
the respective categories, I, II and IV, and the top choir in Category III.
c.	In the Grand Champion Competition, JPY 500,000 will be awarded to the best choir,
JPY 300,000 to the 2nd winner, JPY 100,000 to the 3rd winner and JPY 30,000 to otherfinalists.
d.	In addition, an extra prize will be awarded to the higher-ranking winning choirs in theGrand Champion Competition.

Rehearsal a.	On the day of the performance, the participating choir will be able to do a rehearsal atleast once at the venue.
b.	Also, the travel agency authorised by the organiser will book a rehearsal room in the city.
c.	Up to 2 members of the participating choirs can look over the competition hall on the day
before the performance.
Copyright a.	Copyright royalties for performances and live distribution managed by the JapaneseSociety for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) or NexTone Inc. will
be paid by the organiser. For other songs, the participating choirs must obtain permission
from the copyright holder by themselves.
b.	If the competitors partially omit or rearrange the piece, they must gain approval inadvance from the copyright holder and submit a document showing permission has beenobtained to the organiser. Negotiations with copyright holders should be handled by thecompetitors.
c.	If problems arise between a participating choir and the rights holder for a song that
requires copyright procedures, it must be handled under the responsibility of theparticipating choir.
Information a.	The information provided by the participating choirs will be used for organising thecompetition, such as posting on websites, printing in publications, recording to CDs
or DVDs, and provided to the mass media and parties related to management of thecompetition.
b.	The organiser or the companies authorised by the organiser may use pictures, soundrecordings and video recordings on the Internet, in publications and broadcasting, andprovide the information to the mass media. The companies authorised by the organiser
will sell pictures and recordings in the form of photos, CDs or DVDs.
c.	This competition will be streamed online in Japan. Please note that tickets for viewing
cannot be purchased from overseas. All the participating choirs will be eligible for live
distribution, but archive distribution will only be available to those choirs for which theorganiser has handled the copyrights of the songs performed.
3Conditions of Participation
Preliminary Japan-based choirs
Screening Applicants have to be recommended by the choral association of each prefecture orapproved by the organiser through the preliminary screening. Some choirs could be qualified
on the recommendation of the organiser.
Overseas choirs
Applicants have to be approved through the preliminary screening conducted separately
prior to the one for Japan-based choirs. Some choirs could be qualified on therecommendation of the organiser.
Applications for the preliminary screening;a.	An Application form written in Englishb.	A recent recording of the choir recorded by 2–16 expected singers, after April 2023.
	 *The screening process will be conducted anonymously. Therefore, the choir’s name andany other sounds except the performance must not be recorded on the CD etc.
*The time of performance shall be within 10 minutes, and the choral pieces can bedifferent from the ones to be performed in the competition. Each piece must be recordedon separate tracks.
*The mixing of recorded sound is strictly prohibited for the fair screening.
*The recording media shall be a CD (CD-DA format). DVDs are not acceptable. The
recording media will not be returned.
c.	One digital photo showing the choir
Deadline: 31 October 2023
*The result of the preliminary screening will be announced by November 30, 2023 at thelatest.

Registration Qualified Choirs should provide the following documents.
Registration Documents;
a. Fully completed registration forms.
b. A bank cheque or proof of bank transfer covering the participation fee (only if you selectbank transfer).
c. 7 original scores for the Category Competition
Deadline: a. & b. 15 December 2023 / c. 12 January 2024
*The mailing address will be announced later.
Immigration Upon entering the country, it is necessary to follow the entry procedures indicated by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. It is recommended to thoroughly confirm therequirements beforehand as they may vary depending on the current COVID-19 infection
situation.
Participation Japan-based choirs
Fee Ticket fees will be charged when the choirs participate as an audience. The costs for CDs,
DVDs and photos will be announced separately later.

Overseas Choirs
For participation in the competition, a non-refundable participation fee of JPY 20,000 has
to be paid per choir after being selected through the preliminary screening. Any other costs
that arise must be paid by the applicant.

4The participation fee JPY 20,000 per choir covers;a.	Free entry to the competitions for each choir member including the conductor and theaccompanistb.	Program booklet and clear file folder as memorabilia per choir memberc.	CDs and DVDs recorded by the authorised agentd.	Photos taken by the authorised agente.	Rehearsal roomf.	English speaking guide
Payment Methods;a.	Credit cardb.	Bank transfer *The bank details will be notified later.
c.	A Bank chequeDeadline: 15 December 2023
Accommodation / Japan-based choirs
Meals / Transport The participating choirs will be responsible for their travel and accommodation costs. The
general travel services could be provided by the travel agency authorised by the organiser.

Overseas choirs
The participating choirs will be responsible for their own costs of travel and accommodation.
The organiser provides the following package.
*The hotel room prices fluctuate and may vary depending on the date.

NO.

PackageRoom

3 nights per person

Additional day per person

1

Economy HotelTwin

JPY 30,000

JPY 10,000

Twin

JPY 33,000

JPY 11,000

SingleJPY 39,000

JPY 13,000

2
3Deluxe HotelThis package includes:a.	Accommodation for 3 nights, 22–25 March (check-out)b.	10 Meals
3 × breakfast, 4 × lunch, 3 × dinner (from lunch on 22 March to lunch on 25 March)
Payment Methods:a.	Credit cardb.	Bank transfer *The bank details will be notified later.
Deadline: 15 January 2024
Financial Choirs selected for the Grand Champion Competition will have financial assistance of a
Assistance maximum of JPY 7,000 per stay at hotels after being selected for the finals for each choirmember, including the conductor and the accompanist.

Admission/ a. Please kindly note that all applicants will be only admitted as a participant and obtain
Application of 	visa-related documents issued by us, if we received fully-completed registration forms andVisapayments.

b. Our authorised travel agency, on request basis, will arrange for non-performers’ stayand issue the documents for visa applications as a tourist, but only if they received fullycompleted applications and payments.

Contact Address
The Executive Committee of the Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition(Cultural Promotion Division of the Fukushima Prefectural Government)
2-16 Sugitsuma-cho, Fukushima City
Fukushima 960-8670 Japan
URL http://www.vocalensemble.fukushima.jp/en/
E-mail v-ensemble@pref.fukushima.lg.jp
5The 17th Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition 2024

PRELIMINARY SCREENING APPLICATION FORM
Fill in the form using block letters and put  mark in the chosen boxes.
Choir
Choir Name in English script
Choir Name in Chinese or Korean (if any)
Address

Country

E-mailPhone

Fax

Country code / Area code / Number
WebsiteCountry code / Area code / Number

Contact Person
Mr.

Ms.

Mrs.

Dr.

Prof.

Name in English script
First Name

Last Name

Name in Chinese or Korean (if any)First Name

Last Name

Address

Country

E-mailPhone

Fax

Country code / Area code / Number

Country code / Area code / Number

Participating in
Category I(ages 12–15)

Category II(ages 15–18)

Category III(ages 6–12 / up to 18)

Category IV(others)

List of Choral Pieces – Recording (Max.10min.)
No.

Title
ExampleComposer

Duration

W.A. Mozart

3:00

1.
2.
3.
Number of Singers on the Media Recording
Date of Recording

Date

Month

Male

Total (2–16 singers)

Female
+

=

Year

6

Profile of the choir
Year of Establishment
Main Annual Activities and Highlights

Award History

Questionnaire – How did you hear about the competition?

List of Documents
Put  mark in the column if the document has been enclosed and fill in the number of copies of the document.
Document

Number of Copies

Application Form (with signature)
A separate CD sound recording(2–16 expected singers/ recorded after Apr. 2023 / Max 10 min.)Digital photo of the choir
All the documents should be submitted no later than 31 October 2023 to:
The Executive Committee of the Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition(Cultural Promotion Division of the Fukushima Prefectural Government)
2-16 Sugitsuma-cho, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-8670 Japan
E-mail v-ensemble @pref.fukushima.lg.jp
Agreement
We hereby declare that the information given in this form is correct. We also understand and agree to thecompetition rules and conditions of participation.
Date−
Signature

Month

−

Year

Name

Position7

福島 Fukushima
Fukushima is located in the north-east region of Japan and is approximately 200km, 100 min. by express
train from Tokyo. It is called the “Kingdom of Choirs” in Japan, which has a big population of music fans
and award-winning choirs. Along with its unique music friendly culture, there you can ﬁnd abundantnatural beauty and traditional samurai culture, which is still being handed down over the generations.
You can enjoy renowned hot spring resorts and historical samurai sites before/after the competition. Alltrue music lovers looking to experience the real Japan are welcome to Fukushima.
Thanks to the support and encouragement from all over the world, Japan has steadily been recovering
since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition has also
received hundreds of messages to encourage people in Fukushima. We will never forget the warm andheart-felt moments that we have shared with participants of the competition.
Now we are sure music has the power to get people together and bring about hope and encouragement.
The Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition will keep going on to convey the joy of singing together.

8

Aizuwakamatsu, which used to be a castle
town during the Edo Period (1603 -1867 )Fukushima is an “onsen”(hot spring) kingdom.

From Fukushima Airport
Approx. 75 min. to the hotel in Fukushima city by taxi
From Narita Airport
Route

1

Route

2

Route

3

Narita Airport▶

Tokyo Station

Approx. 1 hr - 1 hr 30 min. by Express Train “Narita Express”

Tokyo Station▶

Fukushima Station

Approx. 1 hr 30 min. by Express Train “Tohoku Shinkansen”

Narita Airport▶

Keisei Ueno Station

Approx. 45 min - 1 hr 50 min. by Keisei Railway trains

Keisei Ueno Station ▶

JR Ueno Station

Approx. 5 min. on footJR Ueno Station▶

Fukushima Station

Approx. 1 hr 25 min. by Express Train “Tohoku Shinkansen”

Narita Airport▶

Fukushima Station

Approx. 5 hrs by Highway Bus (only runs two services a day)

The 18th Fukushima Vocal Ensemble Competition is scheduled to be held in Fukushima City
from 20 to 23 March 2025.
Details will be announced in the summer of 2024.

9

The 17th
Fukushima
Vocal Ensemble
Competition2024