Composing a Kaohsiung Melody / 譜出生命中的─高雄樂章
Akiko Shinagawa
Nationality: Japan
Job: Pianist
Stay in Kaohsiung: 7 years
A woman pianist, Akiko Shinagawa, who comes from Yamaguchi, in the west part of Shimokita Peninsula, has much praised in Japanese musical circles for playing with softness, delicacy and feeling. In 1996, she came to Taiwan for the first time as a judge of a musical competition. As part of her trip, she also came to the southern ocean capital─Kaohsiung. She and her husband Mr. Huang Jung-de, who is himself a famous opera singer, then living in Japan, soon decided to make their home in Kaohsiung. Since then, Akiko Shinagawa has developed binding ties with Kaohsiung, as if she were composing a Kaohsiung symphony in her life.
Shinagawa still remembers that her most vivid impression on her first journey to Kaohsiung was of sweet and juicy fruit. She likes Kaohsiung's snacks - from Dagouding's food stewed in gravy in the Yancheng District to Jiuwuba's (literally meaning 'giant') flavored ice in Kushan Ferry Pier, from fish heads cooked and served in earthenware pot in Liuho night market to fermented bean curd in Lingya night market. Among these snacks, she specially loves fermented bean curd with its unique smell and sweet-and-sour pickles have happy memories for her. Kaohsiung's snacks have become Shinagawa's favorite food. A dutiful wife and loving mother, she comes home after teaching piano lessons and often cooks Taiwanese native dishes for her family.
It is now seven years since Shinagawa came. She thinks that Kaohsiung has becomes gentler and warmer. Love River is no longer smelly, and the original plain and wide path is transformed into a more beautiful and pleasant state with flowers and grasses. Shinagawa often takes a walk with her family along that beautiful river. She also recently found the park with a geographical landscape along the Chienchen River is a good place for leisure. She can often be seen in the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts and Neiweibi Cultural Park located in the north of Kaohsiung. Also, Shinagawa feels touched when she sees the former Train Station in the style of the crown of the Japanese emperor. She feels curious about the lunch boxes in the Train Station Restaurant. She also notices that in the districts of Yancheng and Kushan there are some ancient buildings and she specially praises Kaohsiung's efforts to maintain them. Though Shinagawa is afraid of motorcycle riders jostling and elbowing their way right and left on the road and has never got used to unmannerly driving, she kindly says that people in Kaohsiung are broadminded and frank in conversation and "as generous as the sea is wide." Human touches of liveliness, passion, and friendliness impress her very much.
Shinagawa has simple tastes and, being on the introvert side in personality, likes to dress in the Japanese style. She is in charge of conducting and playing the piano accompaniment for the Jiayin Chorus. She also teaches some pupils at home. She and her husband are at present teaching in the Eternal-Life Christ College in Kaohsiung. Both of them are always together - the Jung-de sings and Shinagawa accompanies him. They give many performances; so, each year they need to travel between Japan and Kaohsiung. It is worth noting that Shinagawa feels Kaohsiung is a city where people can enjoy life as well as work.
品川曉子
在高雄居住時間：7年
國籍：日本
職業：鋼琴家(pianist)
在日本樂界以纖細而抒情的音色與氣質極獲佳評的女鋼琴家品川曉子，來自本州島西部的山口縣，在1996年一次來台擔任音樂評審的機會，第一次接觸到南台灣擁有獨特風格的海洋城市─高雄，隔年即隨夫婿黃忠德先生（知名旅日聲樂家）來高雄定居，從此與這個城市結下不解之緣，譜出生命中的高雄樂章。
品川記得當年初到高雄，第一印象就是水果又甜又多汁，從鹽埕區大溝頂的滷味到鼓山輪渡站的巨無霸海之冰，從六合夜市的砂鍋魚頭到苓雅夜市的臭豆腐，尤其那伴著臭豆腐香的酸甜泡菜，每每令她回味不已，高雄小吃成了品川的最愛，現在的品川更是個賢妻良母，在教授鋼琴之餘，也經常洗手做羹湯，為家人料理道地的家常菜。
來台七年，品川覺得粗獷的高雄變溫柔了，愛河不再惡臭，豐富的花草將原本筆直寬廣的道路裝飾得更美麗了，她最常與家人到高雄美麗的愛河流域散步，她最近發現前鎮河景觀公園也是一個不錯的休憩場所，還有位於北高雄的美術館和內惟埤文化園區也常見她的身影，此外，品川對高雄火車站日本帝冠式建築物更有一股莫名的親切感，鐵路餐廳的便當餐盒更令她好奇，她更發現鹽埕、鼓山一帶有許多古早時代的舊房子，並且特別讚賞高雄在保存舊建築物的不遺餘力。品川表示，高雄人有一股海洋般寬敞的開朗性格，活潑、熱情又親切的人情味更令她印象深刻，不過，品川很害怕高雄馬路上橫衝直撞的摩托車，迄今仍然非常不習慣高雄人禮數不足的行車模式。
品川的個性十分樸實內向，偏好傳統東洋味的打扮，一身優雅脫俗的鋼琴家氣質。她和先生目前雙雙任教於高雄市永生基督學院，同時擔任高雄市佳音合唱團的專任指揮與鋼琴伴奏，品川自己也有不少的家教學生，夫妻倆夫唱婦隨，每年定期往返日本與高雄之間，並可安排例行性的節目演出。值得一提的是，品川覺得高雄真是一個可以同時享受生活與快樂工作的城市！