Introduction

Abstract Buried in the massive archives of Leonard Bernstein are many letters from two Japanese individuals: Kazuko Amano, who became a loyal fan of Bernstein in 1947, and Kunihiko Hashimoto, who fell deeply in love with Bernstein in 1979. What drove these two Japanese individuals to write, with such passion, diligence, and persistence, to this international celebrity so distant from their everyday reality? What was the nature of their love for, and relationships with, Bernstein? Why did Bernstein cherish these relationships so dearly? Was it purely coincidental that these two individuals were Japanese? Or were there specific factors that brought Bernstein and these Japanese individuals together? Why did Bernstein have such an impact on so many around the world? How did Bernstein, a quintessential American in so many ways, become the world maestro who reached and communicated so powerfully across borders?