Mandolin scene in Japan

I was reading the republished interview with Caterina Lichtenberg today and saw that she mentioned a strong mandolin community in Japan. I know a bit about mandolin culture in Europe, the UK, India, and South America, but I'd never heard of mandolin players and composers from Japan. Does anyone have some suggestions of places I might look/Youtube videos I might watch to get a sense for what's going on in Japan mandolin-wise? I've learned a lot hearing different styles from different areas, and would love to add to that list.

Neil Rosenberg told me some years ago that he'd been to Japan to address a bluegrass conference, and said that there was a thriving bluegrass scene. Enter "Bluegrass Japan" in YouTube and you'll find plenty, including this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMR_...annel=hirom52x

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMR_...annel=hirom52x

Also "mandolin Japan" will get you a great deal of classical mando.

Most Japanese players, however, are not Bluegrassers. For a good overview of the mandolin scene in Japan, check out this video: https://youtu.be/MrEPHKRS4XM

And then there's this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8SGaqxgqKQ

The mandolins really sound like trumpets at the end. I need to attend a mandolin orchestra performance some day.

Here is a recent video from Japan

I'm Japanese so let's answer.
Mandolin culture in Japan was probably dominated by classical music and guitar＆mandolin ensembles influenced by Europe in the early 1900s. From the 1960s when bluegrass music was introduced in Japan, domestic musical instrument manufacturers began to manufacture flat-back mandolins, and I think that the number of bluegrass mandolin players has gradually increased. And I started the bluegrass mandolin influenced by the 1974 performance of Bill Monroe in Japan.
Nowadays, some young people influenced by Monroe and Dawg are enjoying the mandolin style that incorporates bluegrass, jazz and others.