While active as a performer, Dai Komatsu also founded Ode Inc., where he offers fiddle lessons and produces events.
He shares his vision of creating places where people meet and connect through music.
Dai Komatsu (小松 大）
Fiddle & viola player / CEO of Ode Inc.
After encountering Irish music in 2004, he spent time in County Clare, Ireland in 2006 to learn to play the fiddle. In 2019, he founded Ode Inc., through which he has produced numerous events. In March 2024, the “Irish Bon-Odori Dance,” which he composed and performed, became a major hit on social media with over 10 million views.
“There Was Something About It” — From Classical to Irish Music
── When did you first start playing music?
I started violin lessons at the age of five, taken there by my parents.
Although I didn’t come from a musical family and wasn’t aiming to be a professional, I continued naturally. By the time I was in junior high, I found myself enjoying music and thinking it could be fun to pursue a path in it.
── You specialized in violin and viola during high school and university. How did you come across Irish music?
In my fourth year at university, friends performed a string quartet version of an Irish set by Tarō Hakase at the university festival.
I had been focused on classical music until then, but playing the sheet music made me realize, “So this is Irish music. I like it.“
With my parents’ influence, I grew up listening to folk songs like Bob Dylan’s and the Braveheart soundtrack, but it was the first time I actually played an Irish tune myself and felt motivated to learn more about it.
Not Just Beautiful Sounds: A Simple Yet Profound World of Irish Music
── Did your interest in Irish music immediately lead to the kind of work you’re doing now?
It took a little time.
Some time after graduating from university, in December 2005, I decided to take a solo trip to Ireland for about three weeks. It was the kind of trip where I just followed the guidebook and went to pubs that were listed as “famous for live music.”
After returning to Japan, I had the opportunity to take a lesson with a fiddle player, Pat O’Connor, in Nagoya.
I was immediately drawn to his playing style. Its refined yet subtle tone was completely different from the “beautiful sound” I had learned in classical music, leaving a strong impression: “So this kind of expression is possible!”
That experience led me to return to Ireland again in late May 2006 for just under three months.
I took more lessons from Pat and went out to pub sessions almost every night.
── So you went back to Ireland again soon after returning to Japan. Was there anything in particular that left a strong impression during your two stays?
In the world of classical music, there’s usually a clear line between professionals and amateurs, but Irish music was nothing like that.
Even Pat, who runs workshops in Japan, would chat casually with everyone at the sessions.
On a human level, that may be perfectly natural, but I was struck by how the same openness carried into the music itself—it made me realize there was another way to make music.
Establishing Ode Inc.: Stepping Onto a New Stage
── How did you engage with music after returning to Japan?
Even after returning from Ireland, I continued with classical music, but I felt a kind of stagnation.
A friend eventually invited me to perform at a market, and from 2016 to 2018, I gradually began taking on more work in musical settings outside the classical world.
Meanwhile, while helping with event production, I was asked to handle everything from arranging musicians to selecting sound companies, and my work naturally expanded.
── Did that lead to you starting the company?
When I was signing a contract, the person in charge at the organization asked, “Would this be a contract with you as an individual?”
After that, I went ahead and completed the paperwork, and by the next meeting, I could say, “I’ve incorporated, so we’re all set.”
Other clients were also asking for incorporation, so it seemed like a natural step.
── Sounds like things progressed really fast.
It definitely took a lot of courage. Compared to freelancing, having a physical base and the financial uncertainty were tough.
But if I wanted to move forward, I knew I had to — before I knew it, I was already moving. It was more like you react when the ball comes your way.
In the middle of all that, the shape of what I’m doing now gradually started to come into view.
Building a Place for Irish Music Together — What Comes Next
── You’re currently active both as a performer and in business. What kind of challenges would you like to take on in the future?
On the performer side, I have several projects in mind, including releasing new tracks and doing more live performances.
Also, the number of fiddle students I teach in Tokyo has grown to about 40, so I’d like to explore ways to create more opportunities for them to engage with music in a relaxed, enjoyable setting.
Joining pub sessions can feel intimidating for some people, but that’s not the only way to enjoy.
I would like to create a kind of “hub” where everyone can feel comfortable and find their own way into the music.
──When you say “hub,” what sort of image do you have in mind?
Rather than a place where you play an instrument and get judged as “pass” or “good,” I picture a space where people make friends, and through those connections, feel inspired to try things together — and little by little, an Irish-style culture grows here in Japan.
Everyone has their own goals, but playing music in a community, chatting, and making friends feels much more in the Irish spirit. I hope to design something that can reach that point.
── Sounds like the community could really grow!
I’d rather not draw lines like “teacher and student.”
What I enjoy most is seeing students engage with music in their own way.
In March next year (2026), members of the fiddle class are planning to join the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Tokyo. Many of them are really looking forward to it, and I hope more people will find their own personal way of being involved with the music like that.
── That really seems connected to your experiences with music in Ireland.
There are, of course, people who know Irish music in great detail, but I don’t think everyone needs to approach it that way.
If working professionals enjoy playing an instrument as a hobby and perform at a pub or on a small stage, and their colleagues or friends can casually come to listen, the music naturally reaches new people.
I’d love to help create places where that can happen.
All It Takes Is the Will to Try — Take the First Step
── Finally, do you have a message for anyone thinking about starting the fiddle or interested in Irish events?
In Ode Inc.’s fiddle class, more than half of the students started with no prior violin experience.
Even as adults, they’ve learned how to hold the instrument, read music, and now they can play.
If you feel even a little spark of “I want to try this,” I hope you’ll take that first step.
If you’re interested in Irish events, please come to a live performance.
I hope to plan events that allow people to connect, as well as more niche talks about Irish culture. If something catches your eye, I’d be happy if you came along casually.
── It’s exciting to imagine how the community built through Ode Inc. will evolve!