After finishing official education, he was appointed the chief conductor of Yamagata Symphonic Orchestra.
Akira Naito has conducted most of Japan´s major orchestras, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, just to mention a few.
His musical success took him outside the country where in Europe, his engagement with Belgrade Philharmonic and Moscow Symphony was received with great ovation. In May 1996, he was invited to conduct"The Barber of Seville" at The Voronezh National Theater (Russia) and he received loud acclaim for the performance. In May 1997, he conducted "Madama Butterfly" at the Belarus National Opera Ballet Theater. In March 2001, Naito has been requested by the organizing producer to give the Russian premier of "November Steps" in St. Petersburg with St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony of Capella, which was sponsored by the municipal government and the Japanese consulate to celebrate the renovation of the notable Capella Hall, the oldest and prominent in St. Petersburg. He has appeared in many concerts in Mexico, Italy and various other countries.
He is noted for his ensemble with the voice: especially in opera and choir. His appearance counting more than 70 times a year.
On January the 16th 2004, with his orchestra"Tokyo New City Orchestra", he performed the true and correct"Madame Butterfly" for the first time in the world with various Japanese original and traditional bells which Puccini must have hoped eagerly but no one else could not have used before, since no such musical instrument was ever created in the world. Such bells are made only for religious ceremony of Buddhism, and of course they do not have special pitch for music. Naito has developed these bells having musical pitch with big effort. The Japanese bells were used in order to express Japanese atmosphere and also to indicate the conflict between Buddhism and Christianity which is an important underplot of the tragic end of the opera. The big success of this performance surely marks the beginning of real "Madame Butterfly"in the world. In 2004 these original instruments were used in the performance of "Madame Butterfly" at Puccini Festival in Italy with great ovation.
In September 2004, he carried out the world premiere of the Adagio movement of the 8th symphony of Bruckner using the music score of a newly-found draft. The performance and the live CD were highly evaluated in music magazines. Now he continues performing new versions of Bruckner symphonies such as 4th, 3rd, 5th, and 9th, all are world premiers.
Nowadays his performing style has been changing to"Pure Tone" (period performance, such as non vibrato, often used in classical ensemble), even for romantic pieces such as Bruckner and Sibelius.
Presently Akira Naito is Music Director of the Tokyo New City Orchestra,Music Director of the Tokyo Choral Society, an executive member of the board of the Japan Conductors´ Association.

2009