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Friday

Modern Tokyo is a hotbed of avant-garde culture, playing host to a wild intermixing of groundbreaking influences in fashion, music, and theater. Early-19th-century Tokyo (then known as Edo) was a similar breeding ground for revolutionary artistic expression, and the shamisen, a Japanese lute that was a major influence during the period, is enjoying a renaissance, thanks to artists such as Masayo Ishigure, who brings the instrument into the modern era by combining classical, jazz, and other contemporary influences to produce a zen, Enya-like sound. On her 2001 release, Grace, Ishigure provides the soundtrack for many a yoga class with her haunting, watery melodies. Revive your senses with Trendy Tunes of Edo: The Shamisen at 1 p.m. at the Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Free. (202) 633-4880. (Kristen Berg)