We lost a very dear old friend and a Super talented Bluegrass artist, Josh Otsuka.
Last night, after the live show, I opened Facebook and saw a post from Mr. Watanabe of BOM. I thought I must be seeing things—I looked twice, unable to believe it. The shock is overwhelming. My beloved, beloved Josh has passed away.
I first met Josh about 34 years ago, when I visited Kansai and dropped by his live show at Shaggy in Kobe. A true legend in Japan’s bluegrass scene, Josh was always so friendly to me, even though I was much younger. I remember us laughing together, always saying “Yay!” with big smiles.
In 2023, Seiji Katayama asked me, “I’d love to have Josh perform at the Chigasaki Jamboree—could you help connect us?” Josh came all the way from Kobe to join the Jamboree, and also appeared on my talk show, Keiko Walker’s Music Box. I’m so grateful to Seiji for giving us that opportunity.
After the show, the three of us—Seiji, Josh, and I—had a wonderful conversation. I never imagined that our cheerful “See you again!” would be the last.