The Tohoku Youth Orchestra relies on your support. We sincerely appreciate your generous contribution. We always accept donations by bank transfer. If you are considering a donation, please email the following information to info@tohoku-youth-orchestra.org and make a deposit to the bank account below. Thank you in advance for your attention and cooperation.
*Currently we are not able to accept donations via credit card. Thank you for your understanding.

●Your Name
●Name of your group
●Amount
●Your email address
●Would you like your name to be listed on our website as a donor or not? (Yes/ No)
Preferred name that will be listed in the Donor Registry (If you prefer different name from your name above)
●Would you like to have a receipt or not? (Yes/ No)
●Notes / Message

【Name and address of designated bank account】
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
1-8-6, Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
【Swift Code】
BOTKJPJT
【Account Name】
Tohoku Youth Orchestra
【Branch Name】
Higashi-Ebisu Branch
【Account Number】
3080490

Hello! I'm Ichikawa Mana, a third-year student from Fukushima Prefecture, playing the violin.

I started playing the violin at the age of four, discovered orchestras through club activities in the fourth grade, and joined the Tohoku Youth Orchestra in the third grade.

I joined the Tohoku Youth Orchestra in the fifth grade, and was doted on by the high school and college students. I enjoyed attending monthly practice sessions. Even now that I'm a college student, I feel like the way I'm treated hasn't changed...? ? Time has passed, and it's already the 11th grade. It's been eight years since I joined. I'm at the senior level. The number of friends from the third grade is dwindling, and it's lonely.

I'm the little one in the back.

I started playing the violin when I was four, but apparently it was around the age of three that I first asked to play. My mother could play the piano, so she apparently wanted me to start, but I told her, "Why don't you just play it yourself?" I was so strong when I was three. After a year of insisting, I finally started playing the violin.

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred around the time I started playing the violin. I was in kindergarten, so I don't remember much, but I do remember it shaking a lot and being scared. When we had to evacuate temporarily, I took my violin with me and fled. This episode reaffirmed how much I wanted to play the violin and loved it. I played the violin at a relative's house, accompanied by my mother.

I have many memories of Tohoku Youth, but the most vivid are probably the regular performances we hold every March. During monthly practice sessions, we tend to hang out with kids in the same section or close friends, so there aren't many opportunities to make new friends. However, during performances, we're together for up to a week, or at least four or five days, so it's a great opportunity to make friends with kids in other sections or kids who share the same hotel room.

You can become friends with both the other members and the administrative staff. I post lots of reports on members practicing and eating meals together on Instagram and X, so please check them out. As the public relations officer, I'll do my best to keep you updated on what's happening at Tohoku Youth!

One of my most memorable experiences would be OTOBUTAI, held at Horyuji Temple in Nara on September 7th, 2024. It was my first time in Nara Prefecture, so everything was new to me. A lot happened during the performance... The performances of the other performers were also spectacular, and I often wished I could have seen them from the audience.

Nara is famous for its deer, so we went to see them and offered them a lot of deer crackers.

Of course, we also saw the Great Buddha, and they let us into areas that are off-limits to the general public, allowing us to see it from an angle we don't normally get to see. It was an incredibly precious experience. I'll never forget getting up early in the morning and walking long distances in the scorching sun to go see it.

I still remember OTOBUTAI as vividly as if it were yesterday.

It's no exaggeration to say that my time with the Tohoku Youth Orchestra has taken up almost half of my life. I absolutely adore this organization, as it allows me to visit many regions, experience many difficult pieces, and experience things I wouldn't normally get to experience.

Thanks to the administrative staff and members, I was able to learn about a world I had never known. I want to continue supporting the Tohoku Youth Orchestra so that future members and junior members can experience the same joy as me, and as a way of giving back to those who have helped me so far!!!

Violin Section: Mamei Ichikawa

The Tohoku Youth Orchestra relies on your support. We sincerely appreciate your generous contribution. We always accept donations by bank transfer. If you are considering a donation, please email the following information to info@tohoku-youth-orchestra.org and make a deposit to the bank account below. Thank you in advance for your attention and cooperation.
*Currently we are not able to accept donations via credit card. Thank you for your understanding.

●Your Name
●Name of your group
●Amount
●Your email address
●Would you like your name to be listed on our website as a donor or not? (Yes/ No)
Preferred name that will be listed in the Donor Registry (If you prefer different name from your name above)
●Would you like to have a receipt or not? (Yes/ No)
●Notes / Message

【Name and address of designated bank account】
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
1-8-6, Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
【Swift Code】
BOTKJPJT
【Account Name】
Tohoku Youth Orchestra
【Branch Name】
Higashi-Ebisu Branch
【Account Number】
3080490