The annual Tokyo Summer Festival, organized by the Arion-Edo Foundation in cooperation with Asahi Shimbun, has been thought up in 1985 by Kyoko Edo (pianist), Maki Ishii (composer) and Tashi Funayama (musicologist), who joined hands to plan a truly international music festival in Tokyo at a time when there was no such event in Japan. This epoch-making festival is the first in Japan planned and directed by professional musicians. The festival takes place under a different theme each year and invites outstanding artists from all around the world in order to let the public discover various styles of music, from classical to world music. Many of the participating artists perform for the 1st time in Japan.