Hello everyone! It has gotten quite cool here in Sendai. I love fashion, so I’m happy that winter—a season perfect for dressing up—is just around the corner (though I do hate the cold...!).
On September 25th, a preview screening of Director Miwa Nishikawa’s film *Children I Don't Know* (Watashi no Shiranai Kodomotachi) was held in Sendai. Members of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra (TYO) participated in the event, and during the stage greeting, we performed a live rendition of the main theme song, "The Sun and the Children" (Taiyou to Kodomotachi).
The TYO members who performed are:
Violin: Mana Ichikawa
Violin: Sae Watanabe
Viola: Keita Mizoi
Clarinet: Kaho Matsuzaki
In this post, I’d like to share a detailed report on the day of the screening and some behind-the-scenes stories! I’m a bit nervous as this is my first time writing a report, but I hope you’ll read it all the way through.

The opportunity for us to participate in the recording for this film came about thanks to a proposal from Marihiko Hara, the film's music director.
Deeply resonating with Director Nishikawa’s vision of a story centered on children, Hara-san suggested, "Why not create the music together with children as well?" That idea paved the way for this miraculous collaboration to happen. Mr. Hara extended the offer with great passion, drawing a parallel between the protagonist, Kotoko—who lives with a deep, hidden longing for music despite being unable to pursue it—and us members of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. He saw a resonance between her feelings and our own journey: facing situations where we couldn't play due to broken instruments or lost opportunities, yet finding the joy of music and the drive to keep playing together as an orchestra. That is why he was so keen to feature the powerful performances of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra in the film.
There is a shared bond between the children in the story—forced to live through harsh times while holding onto their dreams—and us, as we overcame the struggle of being unable to play music the way we wanted following the disaster. I believe it was this mutual determination to ensure the events are never forgotten that allowed us to record such emotionally charged performances.
Director Nishikawa had mentioned during the recording sessions that he would invite us to the preview screening, so I had been looking forward to this day for a long time. However, just a few days before the event, the organizers contacted me with a request: "We’d like you to perform live at the screening." Although I had the music memorized—having performed the pieces in Osaka just a month prior—the prospect of playing before a general audience made me panic. "This is a crisis!" I thought, hurriedly opening the instrument case I hadn't touched in a while due to my senior thesis work (haha).
Then, late the night before the event, I realized something disastrous: I had left my entire set of performance gear—costume, sheet music, and all—back at my parents' home... It was a frantic, last-minute scramble; I had to rush to borrow sheet music from a friend and dash out to buy a costume on the day of the event itself. (A lesson learned the hard way...) Upon arriving at the venue, I spotted Marihiko Hara—someone I hadn't seen in about three weeks! Since he had been so kind to me in the past, I was truly happy that he remembered my name so clearly. Director Nishikawa, as well as cast members Akimi Kobae and Yutaka Takenouchi, were present at the meeting; I was deeply moved to meet the stars of the film.
Just before the actual event, we were all a bit restless to see an audience more than five times the size we had imagined... Even as we took the stage and Mana-chan was asked to speak, my mind went completely blank from nervousness.
Finally, it was time to perform the main theme song, "Taiyou to Kodomotachi" (The Sun and the Children). Despite the tension, we finished the performance successfully; the moment we received warm applause from the audience, I felt a wave of relief. It made me deeply appreciate what a truly wonderful song it is.
What made me happiest of all, however, was the comment Akimi Kobae shared after the performance. She told us that listening to our live music allowed her to viscerally feel the weight of the war and the emotions of the children depicted in the film, moving her to tears. Knowing that our performance had touched the heart of 13-year-old Akimi was the greatest joy of all and left a lasting impression on me.

After the stage greeting, we had the opportunity to watch the film itself. (Please look forward to its release to find out the details!) Although it depicts an era I never lived through, experiencing this story of harsh reality made me strongly wish for a world where such events remain confined to fiction.
Then came the end credits... and there, to my surprise, were the words "Viola: Keita Mizoi"!! It was my first time seeing my name credited on a big screen, and I almost shouted out loud right there in the theater.
I am sincerely grateful for this incredible experience and for the chance to be involved in such a wonderful film. I definitely plan to go see it in theaters again once it is released to the public!
Thank you for reading to the end!
This report was written by Keita Mizoi (Viola).