[10][8][9] In March 2019, she performed The Tale of Genji to open the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.[10] Kawai has appeared alongside and collaborated with musicians and artists such as Tsutomu Sekine,[11] Manami Konishi, Miyu Sakihi, Jun Shibuki, Akinori Nakagawa, Masafumi Akikawa,[4][7] Myung-whun Chung, José Carreras,[12] and Gipsy Kings.
[9] Kawai incorporates Japanese instruments, including the shakuhachi, biwa, shō, taiko drums, hichiriki, and koto, into her music.
[20][3] Kawai composed for the films Torokko (2009), Trolley (2010), A Chorus of Angels (2016), and Midnight Bus (2017);[9][21] her music is also used as the theme song for Awaiting Kirin.
[24] In December 2021, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Red Violin, her first release, Kawai wrote, directed, produced, and composed the musical The Day Embraced by the Moon / Prologue which brings together Marie Antoinette and Gracia Hosokawa.
[32] Kawai is the single mother of a daughter, Kanon, who appeared with her onstage for the first time in The Day Embraced by the Moon / Prologue as young Gracia Hosokawa.