Magazine House Co., Ltd. “Play Bach in 6 Weeks!” – Emiko Inagaki’s translation of “Learn to Play the Piano” has been getting a huge response after appearing on NHK’s “Asaichi” program, and the book will be reprinted for the third time.

[Magazine House, Inc.] “Play Bach in 6 Weeks!” — Emiko Inagaki’s translation of “The Book That Will Help You Play the Piano,” which caused a huge stir after appearing on NHK’s “Asaichi,” has been reprinted for the third time. ​
Magazine House Inc. Press Release: October 21, 2025 “Play Bach in 6 Weeks!” — Emiko Inagaki’s translation of “The Book That Will Help You Play the Piano,” which caused a huge stir after appearing on NHK’s “Asaichi,” has been reprinted for the third time. People who have never played the piano before and those who want to start again are constantly trying it out. Magazine House Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shuichi Tetsuo) has decided to reprint “The Book That Will Help You Learn to Play the Piano” for a third time, written by James Rhodes and translated by Emiko Inagaki. Following Emiko Inagaki’s appearance on NHK’s “Asaichi” (broadcast on September 19th), the book has received a great deal of attention, including reaching the top spot in its category on Amazon (Best Sellers in the Educational Products category from September 19th to 20th, 2025).
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“Learn to Play the Piano” by James Rhodes (author), translated by Emiko Inagaki ■Message from Emiko Inagaki I never imagined I’d take on a task as demanding as translation, but the reason I was so keen to introduce this book is because I was convinced that anyone who reads it will be able to play Bach’s masterpieces in just six weeks. Some of you may be wondering why you need to play Bach, but this book clearly explains the reason. To put it simply, in order to somehow survive these difficult times, we must cultivate and unearth the “beauty” that we all possess within ourselves. Author Rose himself suffered a terrible tragedy as a boy that left him with a permanent scar, but he managed to survive by playing the piano. This is why he truly believes that playing music can save people’s lives. His warmth, combined with his humorous and encouraging words, and his dedication to supporting each and every one of us, gives us hope for life just by reading it. I’m so happy that so many people have read it. Rose probably never imagined that her book would be translated into Japanese in this far eastern country, but I dream that this book will help increase Rose’s fan base and that she might even hold a concert in Japan. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/30125/588/30125-588-1a8fccef774f2fd832f2962da6812e77-829×600.png Translator Profile Emiko Inagaki Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1965. After working in the Osaka headquarters’ Social Affairs Department and the Weekly Asahi editorial department at the Asahi Shimbun Company, she served as an editorial writer and editorial committee member before leaving the company in 2016 at the age of 50. Since then, she has lived a freelance life in Tokyo without a husband, children, refrigerator, or gas contract. She has written many books, including “Soulful Retirement,” “I No Longer Need Recipe Books” (winner of the Essay Award in the Cooking Category of the 5th Cooking Recipe Book Awards), “Surviving by Drinking Alone,” “Retirement and the Piano,” and “Housework or Hell.” ■Contents of this book Two bars a day for six weeks. Change your life by playing Bach! Author Rose is an unusual pianist who re-taught herself piano as an adult. This book is translated into Japanese by Emiko Inagaki, author of “Old Age and the Piano.” This is the definitive introduction to piano for adults, starting with the basics of how to read sheet music and allowing you to play Bach’s preludes in just six weeks by practicing two measures per day.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/30125/588/30125-588-1ff9736416bf522d715f5372e54a26af-780×798.png The “middle C” is the starting point of everything. As its name suggests, this is located right in the center of the keyboard, making it the perfect place to orient yourself when you first sit down at the piano.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/30125/588/30125-588-e3d0f28e2bb90f33551e52eaf51931dd-736×606.jpg Let’s try something like this: Strike the E key three times. Then, play the same E key three times again. Then, play the same E once, then the G slightly to the right of it once, then the middle C, the D next to it, and then the E you played first once each.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully played the opening phrase of “Jingle Bells.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/30125/588/30125-588-ba4152a1b7c57592951827639dc2477e-866×676.jpg Finding the “correct fingering” The fingers of each hand are numbered 1 through 5, starting with the thumb. The thumb is number 1, and the little finger is number 5. Try playing according to the fingerings written on the sheet music. Learning the correct fingering will allow you to play more easily and with an astonishingly beautiful sound. Bibliographic Information Title: A book to help you learn to play the piano Author: James Rhodes, Translated by Emiko Inagaki Release Date: July 3, 2025 Price: ¥1,430 (tax included) Specifications: 80 pages, 46-size paperback ISBN: 978-4-8387-3329-3 : Magazine House, Inc. URL: https://magazineworld.jp/books/paper/3329