This is a report on the "Sanriku Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction Project 2019 Closing Ceremony."

On August 7, 2019, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Representative and Director, and the Tohoku Youth Orchestra's piano quintet performed at the Sanriku Disaster Prevention and Reconstruction Project 2019 Closing Ceremony.

The event was held in Rikuzentakata, famous for the "Miracle Pine Tree." The city was hit hard by the tsunami during the Great East Japan Earthquake, with around 3,400 houses, or about 40%, of the city's 8,200 homes, damaged.

Eight years after the earthquake, a huge seawall measuring 12 meters high and 2 kilometers long has been constructed on the coast of Rikuzentakata, and land near the sea has been raised and filled with earth.

The stringed instrument members who participated this time were
1st Violin: Takuya Ito
2nd Violin: Yoshiko Izawa
Viola Masahiro Watanabe
Cello Honda Kenmaru

The instrument they played was called the "TSUNAMI VIOLIN," an instrument made from driftwood and pillars from houses destroyed by the tsunami caused by the earthquake.
https://classic-for-japan.or.jp/special/tsunami/concept.php

The top plate is made of pine, the back and sides are made of a hard wood similar to maple, and the sound post is made from a piece of wood from Rikuzentakata's "Miracle Pine Tree."
As a prayer for recovery, a picture of a solitary pine tree is painted on the back of the instrument.

So far, musicians from all over the world have participated in relay performances using this instrument.
Apparently, Yo-Yo Ma also played the cello!

https://classic-for-japan.or.jp/special/tsunami/about.php

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Now, the Tohoku Youth members arrived in Rikuzentakata on August 6th, the day before the event.

First, before the rehearsal with Director Sakamoto, he practiced on his own in the dressing room.

Mr. Iijima from the secretariat will give us some advice.

Then we moved to the stage for a sound check.

The members seemed a little surprised by the sound coming through the microphone, which was different from usual.

Then Director Sakamoto joined them and rehearsals began.

He gave us guidance, occasionally directing the performance.

After the stage rehearsal was over, they returned to the dressing room and practiced some more!

On this day, we made the final touches right up to the last minute.

After the rehearsal in the evening, Director Sakamoto, the members of the troupe, and the staff all went out to dinner. We enjoyed a lot of delicious Iwate ingredients.

The members seemed happy to be able to talk at length with Director Sakamoto.

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The next day is the real day.

The members received some welcome gifts in their dressing room from their fellow Tohoku Youth members.

Large blueberries from violinist Seiya Kitagawa, who is from Iwate.

We received a gift of soup from Mizuho Miura, a percussionist from Kesennuma.

thank you!

There is a rehearsal in the morning.

Then we change into costumes and it's time for the real thing!

Circle at the tip of the bow!

And then onto the stage.

All the music in this program was composed by Director Sakamoto.

The stage lighting also changes for each song performed.

First up is "Kizuna World"

"Aqua"

"Bibo No Aozora"

"Rain"

"Behind The Mask"

And "The Last Emperor"

We received cheers of "Bravo!" from the audience.

They performed "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" as an encore.

The stage ended without any problems! We received a warm round of applause from the audience.

Finally, we took a commemorative photo of all five of us!

The director also gave us a CD with each of our names and signatures on it!

Now, leaving Rikuzentakata behind, we head straight for Lake Kawaguchi.
Summer training camp is finally starting...!