Chamber Music Concert for Peace: 41 Years of History at Sembokuji Temple

Chamber Music Concert Wishing for Peace

41 years of history at Sembokuji Temple

A place to preserve memories

On April 20, 2025, the 41st "Chamber Music Concert for Peace" was held at Sempukuji Temple near Shin-Koiwa Station. This is a special initiative that has been carried out for many years in collaboration between the Shingon sect's Sempukuji Temple and the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, as a place to pass on the memory of the war to future generations in Edogawa Ward, which suffered extensive damage in the Great Kanto Air Raids during World War II.

The background of the concert

The origins of this concert date back to a time when the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was in danger of losing its existence. At the time, local people wanted to support the orchestra, which was losing performance opportunities, so they offered a venue for it to perform. These "citizen concerts" were born all over the country, and became the forerunners of today's outreach activities.

A long-lasting place of prayer

For local parishioners and repeat attendees living nearby, this concert is not just a musical event, but a place to renew prayers for peace. Before the performance, a lecture was given to pass on the horrors of war, and a time was set aside for prayer, remembering the many lives lost in this land in the past and the reality that innocent civilians are still being sacrificed all over the world today.
Although the performers did not directly experience the war, they recalled their memories and conveyed their desire for peace through music. The program featured a wide range of songs selected by the musicians themselves, from classical to jazz and popular songs.

【Program】
JS Bach: The sheep graze peacefully
Maurer: Three Pieces
Brahms: Lullaby
Ewald: 1st Movement from Brass Quintet No. 3
Nagel: Jive for Five
Akira Mitake: Like the flow of a river

[Cast]
Trumpet: Toshiyuki Onishi, Nobuyuki Inukai
Horn: Shun Ito
Trombone: Yuta Ito
Tuba (guest): Jun Miyanishi

New connections brought about by music

Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced opportunities for people to gather and a sense of isolation still lingers, this concert has become an important opportunity to connect people through music.
The music echoing through the main hall connects the hearts of those gathered, creating an opportunity for quiet reflection on the past, present, and future.

Furthermore, this venue has been a place where citizens have continued to confront various social issues such as depopulation, urban overcrowding, pollution, the trend toward nuclear families, an aging population, the deterioration of public safety, and the decline of education, and its significance as a place where people's thoughts intersect and local ties are nurtured grows stronger every year.

A "light of music" that connects to the future

For 41 years, the "Chamber Music Concert for Peace" at Sumpukuji Temple has been held as a place to reflect on memories of war, pray for peace, and connect people.
Even as times change and memories of war fade, our mission is to pass on the "spirit of wishing for peace" to the next generation through music.