奇蹟のピアニストよ、\n永遠に。

奇蹟のピアニストよ、
永遠に。

奇蹟のピアニストよ、永遠に。

失敗は天才のはじまり、という話。

奇蹟のピアニストよ、\n永遠に。

完璧なテクニックをもつミュージシャンがいる。 あるいは、写真と見紛うばかりの写実的な絵を描く画家がいる。 どちらももっている技術は凄く、感動を覚える。 一方でどこか音程が外れた鼻唄のような歌にじ〜んとしたり、 落書きのような絵に心が揺さぶられることもある。 不完全、だからこそ人の心を動かすことがある。 “私は機械じゃない、だから間違えることもある”、 と公言していたピアニストがフジコ・ヘミング。 一方で、フジコはミスを恐れていたともいう。 そんなフジコ・ヘミングとはどんな人物だったのか取材をしてみた。 この号を読んで、フジコのピアノを聴きたいと 思ってもらえるとうれしいです。

奇蹟のピアニストよ、永遠に。

Feature | 2025.4.24


失敗は天才のはじまり、という話。

About how failure can be the start of genius.

Some musicians play with flawless technique.
Some artists paint with photo-like precision.
Their skill is moving—but sometimes,
it’s a slightly off-key hum or
a messy sketch that touches us more.
Imperfection can move us in unexpected ways.
It’s that very imperfection
that can touch us most deeply.
“I’m not a machine—so of course I make mistakes”
pianist Fujiko Hemming once declared.
Yet she was also known to fear them.
So who was the real Fujiko?
We set out to find out.
If this inspires you to listen to her piano,
I’ll consider myself happy.

奇跡のピアニストと呼ばれたアーティストがいた。
彼女が弾く「ラ・カンパネラ」は人々の心を鷲づかみにし、
波瀾万丈の人生は多くのメディアに取り上げられ一躍、時の人になる。
「私は機械じゃないから。いつも同じようには弾けない」といい放ち、
正確なテクニックよりも、そのときどきでの、自分の感情表現を大切にした。
天才、わがまま、変人、愛すべき人。
さまざまに形容されるフジコ・ヘミングはいったいどんな人物だったのか。
そのキャラクターを知るほどに、フジコの魅力が増していく。

She was known as the Miracle Pianist.
Her rendition of La Campanella captivated hearts, and her dramatic life story catapulted her into the spotlight.
“I’m not a machine. I can’t play the same way every time,” she said,
choosing emotion over technical perfection.
Genius. Stubborn. Eccentric. Endearing.
Fujiko Hemming has been called many things—but who was she really?
The more you learn about her, the more she draws you in.

Years ago, a Mercedes-Benz ad said, “Everyone makes mistakes.” It’s a simple truth—but easy to forget. Mistakes are part of being human. And sometimes, they’re what make us beautiful.
Even the “Miracle Pianist” Fujiko Hemming said: “I’m not a machine—I can’t play the same way every time.” For her, it wasn’t about avoiding small mistakes, but staying true to herself in every performance. “If Chopin or Liszt were here, she once said, I’m sure they’d say, ‘That’s a nice way to play it, too.’”
Fujiko’s performances proved her words. One moment, delicate and lyrical—the next, raw and explosive. Her emotional playing gripped listeners and shook them to the core. Even if there were flaws, those imperfections revealed her humanity—

and her unwavering commitment to expression. That’s what moved us. Because imperfection can make something even more beautiful—and loved.
People aren’t machines—and one day, every life ends. Fujiko passed away on April 21, 2024, at 92. She stayed active into her later years, making her absence feel even greater. Born to a Japanese mother and Swedish father, she lived all over—Berlin, Japan, Vienna, Stockholm, Paris—rarely settling long. But who was she, really? To find out, I spoke with photographer Hideo Nakajima, who spent over 20 years capturing her life. A year has passed since her death. As you get to know her story, I hope you’ll listen to her signature piece La Campanella and think, “That way of playing is beautiful too.”

フジコ・ヘミングの人生を知れば、彼女の音楽に深みが増す。

Feature | 2025.4.24


The more you Know Fujiko Hemming’s life,
the deeper her music becomes.

She traveled between Europe and Japan, slowly finding her path to success.

Fujiko Hemming was born in Berlin in 1931 to a Swedish father, painter and architect Fritz Gösta Georgii-Hemming, and a Japanese mother, pianist Toako Ohtsuki. Her younger brother was actor Ulf Otsuki.
The family moved to Japan during her childhood, though her father returned alone to Sweden. She lived with her mother and brother, graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, and hoped to study in Germany. But lacking any official nationality—neither Swedish nor Japanese—she couldn’t obtain a passport. Then, moved by her playing, the German ambassador advised her to apply for refugee status—opening the door to her dream of studying abroad.
In Germany, Fujiko graduated with honors from a Berlin music university and even drew the attention of Leonard Bernstein. But a severe cold caused her to lose hearing in her left ear—she had already lost her right at 16. Devastated, she fell into despair. Through treatment and relentless rehab, she recovered about 40% of her hearing—just enough to play again. Her life in Germany was marked by poverty. She taught piano and worked as a hospital cleaner to survive. “If you live honestly, life will reward you.”

“There’s no point in asking others about your life—it’s yours.” “Every morning I think, ‘I’m alive today. Thank you, God.’” A devout Christian, Fujiko relied on her faith in God—and in herself—to endure.
After some 30 years abroad, she returned to Japan following her mother’s death. Some time later, the NHK documentary Fujiko: The Miracle of a Pianist, aired and became a nationwide sensation.
“What’s changed since I became famous? My lifestyle, sure, but not me. What makes me happiest is finally giving my cats better food,” Fujiko once said, embracing her moment in the spotlight. Her debut CD Miracle Campanella sold 300,000 copies in three months. In 2001, she performed at Carnegie Hall. In 2003, a TV drama based on her life, starring Miho Kanno, drew a 20.1% rating. While performing worldwide and launching her own CD label, tragedy struck in November 2023—she fell at home and injured her spine. Soon after, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away on April 21, 2024, at the age of 92.
Even now, I sometimes listen to La Campanella while thinking of Fujiko’s life. Strangely, her performances sound even more soulful now that she’s gone.

思いやりがあり、優しかった、フジコの素顔を知る。

Feature | 2025.4.24


Kind and compassionate—
Getting to know the real Fujiko.

One photographer spent nearly 20 years capturing her life.
On stage and off—I asked what she was really like.

Photographer Hideo Nakajima knew Fujiko well. “About 20 years ago, I was in Belgium photographing an orchestra when Fujiko showed up as a guest. I casually asked to take her photo and showed it to her right away. She was delighted and said, ‘You’re coming again tomorrow, right?’ I hadn’t planned to, but since she asked, I came back the next day. That’s how it all started.”
It turned out Fujiko lived just five minutes from Nakajima. “It was a coincidence—only about five minutes on foot from my place. When she found out, she said, ‘Hey, Mr. Photographer, let’s walk home together.’ She barely knew me, but that was Fujiko—naturally kind and open, never putting up walls.”
Calling a cameraman “Mr. Photographer”—that was pure Fujiko. “Fujiko hated airplanes, you know. She’d fly overseas if she had to, but within Japan, she always traveled by land, no matter how difficult. She simply couldn’t believe something that big could stay up in the air! [laughs] But that too was so her.” 

Fujiko’s honesty and refusal to compromise sometimes made her seem difficult. “She didn’t like being photographed. If fans asked, she would reluctantly agree but turn her face away. Even when asked to look at the camera, she wouldn’t. That was just her—you had to accept it.”
Nakajima has many memories of Fujiko. One stands out: “She once called me backstage, showed me a few outfits, and asked, ‘Which one should I wear today?’ I picked one, and she wore it on stage that very evening. I think she already had something in mind, but she let me choose anyway.” Fujiko had a unique charm. “She was shy and reserved, often blunt to hide it. People saw her as cold or arrogant, but she was deeply kind. Maybe she just wasn’t good at shaping how others saw her—she was a little clumsy that way.” It was that quiet thoughtfulness toward others that kept Nakajima by her side for nearly 20 years.

一周忌を迎えて、フジコへの想いはますます深くなっていく。

Feature | 2025.4.24


With the first anniversary of her passing,
our love for Fujiko only deepens.

Through countless stories, her true self emerges.
Her music and her spirit live on in our memories.

Teaching students to play perfectly by the score is risky—it only leads to mechanical, boring music,” Fujiko once said. “I make plenty of mistakes, but even Arthur Rubinstein said he made enough to fill a bucket.”
But Nakajima recalls she was deeply sensitive about errors. “She’d say, ‘I’m not a machine,’ and it sounded bold and defiant—but if she messed up on stage, she’d shut down, even stop eating. She’d say, ‘The devil came down on me today.’ She’d be so low, we couldn’t even talk to her.”
To avoid mistakes, Fujiko practiced relentlessly. “Fujiko was tireless. One day, her piano tuner said he’d never seen hammers worn down into such square shapes. They were originally round—hitting the strings over and over had made them square. That’s how much she practiced. She never showed her effort, but if you looked closely, it was clear. At home or on tour, if she had a piano and time, she was practicing.”
Fujiko practiced constantly to be ready for any big break. “She believed opportunity could come anytime—that’s why she practiced. Before her big break at NHK, whenever a famous orchestra came to Japan, she’d rush backstage to meet them, but as an unknown, she was often turned away. She was always in go-mode, never willing to miss a chance.”


After nearly 20 years of friendship, their time together ended in April 2024. “I was shocked to hear she’d fallen down the stairs. At first, I hoped she’d recover—but when I found out about the pancreatic cancer, I knew it would be hard. She was quite elderly by then.
To mark the first anniversary of her passing, Nakajima held a Fujiko Hemming exhibition at Seibu Shibuya. “I wanted to share the memories of Fujiko that still live in people’s hearts. Meeting her was a gift. Traveling together, all over Japan and in Europe, was priceless. The time we spent together was truly special. I always thought I’d be there to the very end. When that moment came, it hit harder than I expected. But now, a year later, I can finally remember her with peace.”
“Come on, Mr. Photographer—don’t worry about me. Just do your best.” No doubt, Fujiko is saying that from heaven right now.

音楽だけでは飽き足らず、絵にも自分を表現したフジコ。

Feature | 2025.4.24

可愛らしく、キュートなフジコの絵。
そこには彼女ならではのワールドが描かれている。

Music wasn’t her only outlet—
Fujiko expressed herself through painting too.

Her art is charming and cute, a world uniquely her own.


Fujiko Hemming loved painting as much as the piano—not just looking at it, but creating it. She wasn’t just a pianist; she was a painter too.
Fujiko’s paintings were especially well received in Europe, where she even published art books. She often painted what she loved—cats, flowers, childhood memories with her father, and everyday scenes. Her colorful, lively style feels like it dances to the rhythm of her piano. Some of her works, inspired by ukiyo-e, featured cherry blossoms and kimono, reflecting her deep affection for Japan.
A natural creator, Fujiko expressed herself through fashion too. “I take clothes I wore a lot when I was younger but got tired of,” she once said, “cut out the pretty parts, save them, and later stitch them onto something else.” She always felt the urge to add her own touch to the clothes she wore, often performing in kimono she had customized herself.
True to her mantra—“I am not a machine”—Fujiko expressed herself through music, art, and fashion. That was Fujiko Hemming.

フジコ・ヘミングを撮り続けた写真家にフジコという人を聞いた。

Feature | 2025.4.24


I asked the photographer who captured Fujiko Hemming:
who was she, really?

I spoke with photographer Hideo Nakajima, a leading figure in live performance photography who documented the Fuji Rock Festival from its very first year to the present. His subjects include Fujiko Hemming, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Prince, U2, Céline Dion—the list goes on. Today, he also runs Majikana, a music bar in Ginza that hosts an eclectic range of live performances from rock to traditional rakugo. On quiet nights, guests can hop on stage and play—drawing a crowd of music lovers.

MUSIC&BAR「まじかな」

東京都中央区銀座7-3-13 ニューギンザビル1号館2階
℡03-3573-5300

https://ginzamajikana.jimdofree.com/


[PR]会員制プライベートジェットで、より豊かな人生を謳歌する。

Feature | 2025.4.24

交通手段が充実している現代においても、長距離の移動にはストレスがつきまとうもの。
多忙な日々のなかで時間を効率的に使いながら、
快適に、リラックスできる移動手段を人々は望んでいる。
そんな声に応えるのがプライベートジェット。
大空を自由に滑空して、人生はさらに豊かになる。

Enjoy a more fulfilling lifewith a private jet membership.

Even with today’s advanced transportation,long-distance travel can still be stressful.
Busy people want efficient, comfortable ways to get around
—and that’s what private jets offer. Elevate your lifestyle.


With relaxing direct flights all over Japan.

Travel keeps evolving—faster, freer. Today, one pinnacle of that evolution is the private jet. While owning a jet may seem out of reach given the purchase price and maintenance costs, OpenSky’s membership model makes it surprisingly accessible.
OpenSky flights are exceptionally comfortable and convenient. With access to nearly all of Japan’s 100+ airports—including places commercial airlines don’t reach—you have more options than you’d expect. One major perk: you can drive right up to the jet. No lines, no waiting—just seamless, stress-free travel from start to finish.
So, what’s it like onboard? While you might imagine a cramped cabin, the interior is surprisingly spacious. OpenSky’s jets currently accommodate up to eight passengers. The seats recline nearly flat for true in-flight relaxation. With tables, power outlets, and privacy, it’s an ideal, stress-free space for both work and rest as you ply the skies.


A membership program with plenty of perks.

Private jet services typically come in two forms: charter-based or membership-based like OpenSky. Charters require paperwork for each flight and often cost more. In contrast, OpenSky’s fractional ownership model offers major benefits. Full ownership can cost hundreds of millions of yen, plus high maintenance fees. But with OpenSky, shared ownership starts from just 2 million yen per year, with flexible installment options and tax-friendly depreciation. No fixed costs, and flights start at 570,000 yen per hour—making private jet travel more accessible and efficient.
In the West, private jets aren’t just for the ultra-rich—even middle-income families use them for special occasions. In Japan, they’re still seen as luxury for the elite. OpenSky’s membership model challenges that view, offering stress-free access across Japan at a surprisingly attainable price.
Saving time makes life richer. For those seeking more from life, private jets offer a new way to travel.

https://www.opensky.jp

東京都港区東麻布1-7-3 第二渡邉ビル7F
◎航空機の導入及び運航支援 ◎航空機レンタル
◎場外離着陸場の設置運営

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