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Marin Naruse (成瀬 茉倫)
Amami Shima-uta Singer/Researcher (MPhil Candidate at the University of Oxford)
Born in 2001 in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Marin moved to Amami Oshima at the age of four. From an early age, she was immersed in shima-uta (traditional Amami island songs) and the sanshin. She is a certified Minyo Ambassador of the Japan Minyo Association and has been actively engaged in cultural outreach both in Japan and internationally.
While in high school, Marin received the Grand Prize at the 3rd International High School Symposium for her research on regional revitalization in Amami. Representing Japan at Global Link Singapore 2018, this experience marked a turning point that led her to pursue research alongside performance.
After enrolling in the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University, Marin studied sociology and ethnomusicology. During her undergraduate studies, she presented her research and conducted shima-uta workshops at the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTMD) World Conferences in 2023 and 2025. In 2023, she was selected as an Asian Cultural Council (ACC) New York Fellow, which enabled her to conduct research on Amami migration and ethnomusicology in New York. Alongside her research, she organized the Shimauta Workshop Series and delivered lectures at Harvard University and Princeton University, further developing her distinctive identity as a “performer–researcher.”
In recognition of these activities, Marin received the Keio University President’s Award in 2023. Her undergraduate thesis, titled “Japanese Island Diaspora: Identity Formation and Community Building Among the Amami People in Tokyo — Participant Observation by a Shima-uta Singer,” examined identity formation and community building within the Amami diaspora.
In addition, Marin is the founder and representative of the student organization Meet My Amami (Instagram: @meetmyamami), through which she works to foster youth communities in the Amami region, address educational disparities, promote regional revitalization, and support cultural and tourism initiatives.
Currently, Marin is an MPhil student at the University of Oxford, where she enrolled in October 2025 as a Swire Scholar, specializing in Japanese Studies within the field of Area Studies.
AWARDS
・Won the Excellence Prize at the National Minyo-Minbu Boys and Girls Competition. (08/28/2015)
・Awarded the Encouragement Prize at the Amami Minyo Grand Prix. (05/19/2018)
・Won the second place in the preliminary round of the National Minyo-Minbu Amami Union Tournament. (11/13/2021)
・Selected as a grantee of Asian Cultural Council, New York Fellowship 2023. (2022)
・Received the Keio University President’s Encouragement Award. (03/23/2023)
PERFROMINGE EXPERIENCES OF SHIMA-UTA
・Served as a shimauta performer at the Native Sea Amami restaurant every Saturday for six years in junior and high school. (2013-2019)
・Served as a shimauta performer at farewell ceremonies of cruise ships organized by the Amami Ohshima Tourism Association throughout 3 years of high school. (2016-2019)
・Selected as one of the 15 individuals in Kagoshima Prefecture for the “International Youth Exchange Program” and dispatched to Hong Kong. Performed shimauta in front of government officials and university students there. (09/15/2016)
・Performed in “Minyo Sonic” held in Edo Tokyo Museum. (02/26/2017)
・Performed at Tama Art University, “The Beginning of Line Carving – From Ireland and Scandinavia to the Amami islands”. (06/04/2018)
・Performed in Tianjin, China for the opening event of a Japanese restaurant, “Wasuke”. (11/23/2019)
・Performed the celebratory shimauta at the “New Year’s Greeting Party for Tokyo Amami Group”. (01/19/2020)
・Performed at the “8th Tokunoshima Tourism and Products Fair in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo”. (02/23/2020)
・Performed at "New Year's Traditional Performing Arts & New Year's Concert: Rakugo, Shimauta, and Classical Music in a Salon," a project subsidized by Kagoshima Prefecture for cultural and artistic performances. (01/29~31 2021)
・Performed at Io World, Kagoshima Aquarium for the 2021 Kagoshima Prefecture Unique Avenue Activation Project “Inheritance of Culture Carried by the Black Current”. (01/30/2022)
・Performed in “Magun Music Festival” hosted by Denpaku Amami and collaborated with Yoshiko Kishino, a famous Jazz pianist in japan. (02/04/2022)
・Planned and performed in “Tomoshibi Sangen” and collaborated with the Japanese harp, Tsugaru shamisen under the light of Japanese candles in Koumyo temple, Minatoku, Tokyo.(04/24/2022)
・Performed in “Aoyama Odoru” held in a live music club, MINAMIAOYAMA MANDALA. (08/17/2022)
・Performed in the New York Japan Parade 2023. (05/13/2023)
・Performed in "PR Kagoshima Day- Shima Uta & Oshimatsumugi- " at Japan House, São Paulo(08/05/2023)
・Performed at the Japan Village Beer Garden Festival at Japan Village Brooklyn. (08/16/2023)
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES
・Delivered an oral presentation and won the Grand Prix at the “3rd International Symposium for High School Students”. (01/31~02/07 2018)
・Participated in the “Global Link Singapore 2018” held at the National University of Singapore as the representative of Japanese high school students. (07/21~24 2018)・Served as a panelist at the “2nd Amami World Natural Heritage Promotion Symposium” hosted by Kagoshima prefecture. (10/04/2019)
・Founded and initiated “Meet My Amami”, a student group aimed at promoting Amami culture among young people in Japan. (06/17/2021)
・Delivered an English presentation about shimauta in “Online Webinar and Music workshop: Hybrid Cultures and Sonic Diversity of Thai and Japanese music” hosted by Mudita and Japan Foundation in Bangkok. (11/01~09 2021)
・Invited as a guest lecturer to the “Musics of Japan” class by Patrick Savage, the associate professor at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus and gave a lecture about shimauta. (11/04/2021)
・Produced and planned the “1st Japanese Traditional Culture Summit” targeting young people with the support of Mudita, a non-profit organization in Japan. (02/19/2022)
・Participated as a singing example of shimauta at the Keio Institute of Language and Culture public workshop titled “Scientific Study of Utagoe(Singing Voice). (11/29/2022)
・Invited to participate in an interactive dialogue with the Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture held in Tokyo. The discussion focused on the current state of education in the Amami Islands and the future of the Amami community in Tokyo.(12/11/2022)
・Invited as a guest speaker to the Expo Mer Fujisawa’s webinar event and given a presentation titled “SHIMAUTA music from Amami Islands: The Relationship with the Ocean”. (06/06/2023)
MEDIA APPEARANCES
・Featured on NHKFM "Ren Komai's Nipomin!” (01/03/2020)
・Featured in YOUTH STUDIO by WEGO x Dentsu Youth Research Department magazine[He~se~ no Yabo~ Vol. 8]. (11/13/2020)
・Featured in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper "New Adults in the 21st Century”. (01/12/2021)
・Featured on NHKFM "Tamiuta of Yoshiki Risa” (06/13/2021)
・Appeared in TV commercials for the “60th commemorative Reimeikan special exhibition, Hokorasha Amami: The World of Shima Interwoven with the Sea and the Mountains”. (09/30~11/07 2021)
・Featured in Portrait in the Spring 2022 (No. 314) issue of ”Juku”, a quarterly PR Magazine for Keio University."(2022)
・Featured in the Minami Nippon Shimbun Newspaper, "Kao"(09/30/2022)
・Featured in the Yomiuri Shimbun Newspaper, "Shimauta Research. Utatte Hassin."(10/17.2022)
・Apperead in TV program "Morisanchu no! A beautiful Journey on Amami Oshima.(2022)
・Appeared in KKB Kagoshima Broadcasting, "Bringing shimauta to the World: Efforts of a University Student from Amami" featured on J-Chan+. (2022)