Tohoku Dream Project 2025 Exchange Event Report

Prior to the Tohoku Dream Project in Iwate on August 6th and in Fukushima on August 11th, members of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra held an exchange event with the participating groups to learn about each other's activities.

Tohoku Dream Project in Iwate Exchange Event

From June 30th to July 1st, members of the Japan Philharmonic Brass Quintet (trumpeters Toshiyuki Onishi and Nobuyuki Inukai, horn Shun Ito, trombone Rina Fukushima, and tuba Kazuhiro Yagyu) visited performing groups.

Ushibuse Local Performing Arts Preservation Society

The exchange event was held in the gymnasium of Miyako City's Miyako Nishi Junior High School, and was attended mainly by students from Miyako City's Sentoku Elementary School and junior high school. The event began with a performance by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's brass quintet. With an MC introducing the instruments, the audience enjoyed the familiar sounds of the brass quintet.
Next, the junior high school students performed a dance. The Japan Philharmonic Orchestra members watched with interest as they performed the "Seven Dances" and "Sword Dance." Under the watchful eye of members of the Ushibuse Folk Performing Arts Preservation Society, the elementary school students, who usually perform separately, also watched the junior high school students' performance.
At the end of the event, the musicians, elementary school students, and junior high school students were divided into groups to interact with each other. Although it was a short time, the musicians asked the children questions about their regular practice and performances, and it was an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the cultural arts of music and traditional performing arts.

Iwate University Faculty of Education Elementary School Choir

The concert began with a performance by the choir, followed by a sneak preview of the songs that will be performed at the main concert in August, including the school song. The beautiful harmonies echoed throughout the venue, and even the members of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra were captivated by the music.
Next, the Japan Philharmonic Brass Quintet performed, introducing the instruments they played. They performed pieces such as "Libertango" that highlighted the timbre of each instrument, as well as original pieces for a full-scale brass quintet that allowed the audience to appreciate the beauty of the sound.
After the performance, they played "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" together, listening carefully to each other's sounds and enjoying a time of communication through music.
The subsequent group interaction was a warm moment in which participants exchanged questions and impressions, deepening their relationships through dialogue.

-Profiles of each organization-

Ushibuse Folk Performing Arts Preservation Society (Miyako City Sentoku Elementary School, Miyako City Miyako Nishi Junior High School)

The Ushibuse Folk Performing Arts Preservation Society was founded in 1963 as a result of participating in the National Folk Performing Arts Competition.
The Ushibuse Nembutsu Sword Dance is said to have originated as a dance to mourn the fallen soldiers of the Genji clan and their enemy, the Heike clan, and has continued to be performed as a prayer for bountiful harvests and peace.
It is said that in the Ushibuse village, there were Nembutsu Kenbai and Nanatsumai, as well as Kagura and Sansa Odori. Currently, Nembutsu Kenbai is passed down from junior high schools, and Nanatsumai from kindergartens.
The program consists of the sword dances Naginataodori, Sutegoe Ogiodori, Shiromawashi Ogiodori, Tachi, and Aya. The Nanatsumai dance was originally a part of the sword dance, and its greatest feature is that it is danced with seven types of weapons and farming tools (naginata, axe, sickle, club, pestle, bow, and sword).
With guidance from the preservation society, Sentoku Elementary School performs the Nanatsumai dance at their sports day, and Miyako Nishi Junior High School performs a musical drama combining song and dance at their school festival.

Iwate University Faculty of Education Elementary School Choir

The Iwate University Faculty of Education Elementary School Choir Club is made up of fourth to sixth grade children who love to sing and their teachers. They enjoy singing together and get excited watching music being created little by little. They work hard every day.
This year's slogan is "Let's use our voices to deliver songs of happiness that will stay in the hearts of listeners!", and each member is working hard to enter the competition, discussing the meaning of the lyrics and striving to sing with a resonant voice. In addition, every November, the choir and brass band of Iwate University's Faculty of Education Elementary School come together to hold a performance called the "Wakatake Concert," which is an important opportunity for many people to hear the culmination of a year's work.

Tohoku Dream Project in Fukushima Exchange Event

On July 4th and 5th, the Fukushima Prefectural Onahama Kaisei High School team "Jangara" and the MJC Ensemble were visited by the Japan Philharmonic String Quartet (violins Mai Ota, Seiko Onuki, viola Shiori Eto, and cello Tomoki Yamada).

Fukushima Prefectural Onahama Kaisei High School Team "Jangara"　

The event began with a performance by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. While introducing composers and string instruments, the orchestra played a wide range of music, from classical masterpieces to pop songs, delivering the rich sounds of a string quartet. At the end, the audience called for an encore!
After the performance by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the "Jangara" team performed a dance. We were overwhelmed by the powerful sounds of the drums and bells that we could hear up close, and were deeply touched by the earnest gazes of the students.
Next, members of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra were given the opportunity to experience the Jangara Nembutsu Dance! The students carefully taught them how to play the drums, gongs, and hand dance, and they had lively conversations. At the end, the Jangara team and the entire Japan Philharmonic Orchestra performed a dance.
The students said they would do their best to improve their level even further in preparation for the performance on August 11th. They left Onahama looking forward to the day when they could meet again as fellow performers on the same stage.

MJC (Minamisoma Junior Chorus) Ensemble

The venue, a unique building renovated from the former sake brewery of Matsumoto Meijo, a brewery that continued through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, was enjoyed by approximately 40 members of the general public. The event began with a string quartet performance of "Hungarian Dance No. 5," as well as famous pieces by Brahms and Mozart, and familiar Disney songs. Next, a nine-member female chorus from the MJC Ensemble performed three songs: "Prey," "Ultramarine," and "Beyond the Clouds." Representative and instructor Yoichi Kaneko clearly explained the origins of each song and the sentiments embedded in the lyrics. The members, ranging in age from first-year junior high school students to housewives, passionately expressed the joy of singing through their voices. The strings and chorus concluded by performing "Hana wa Saku" (Flowers Bloom) and another rendition of "Ultramarine." The clear melodies of the strings and the warmth of the chorus filled the venue's excellent acoustics, enveloping everyone in the audience.
At the end of the event, the participants split into small groups and shared their memorable musical experiences and asked each other questions, quickly becoming friends and deepening their connections in preparation for August 11th.

-Profiles of each organization-

Fukushima Prefectural Onahama Kaisei High School Team "Jangara"　

The "Jangara" team from Fukushima Prefectural Onahama Kaisei High School practices daily with the three pillars of "requiem, reconstruction, and gratitude" as their mission, with the desire to invigorate the local community that has overcome the earthquake and COVID-19 pandemic. They have been invited to perform their "Jangara Nembutsu Dance" at a variety of events, from various school events to local requiem bon odori dances, festivals at elderly care facilities, campaigns to eradicate traffic accidents, and sea festivals. In fiscal year 2024, they received requests to perform the dance approximately 20 times.
"Jangara Nembutsu Dance" is a type of Nembutsu dance that has been passed down for about 400 years since the Edo period, mainly in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. It incorporates elements of Bon Odori, including drums, gongs, singing, and hand dancing. There are over 100 groups active in the dance, but one of its defining features is that no two are exactly alike. Every year around July, the sounds of "Jangara" can be heard coming from somewhere. Then, during the Obon period in August, the sounds of drums and gongs can be heard coming from the gardens of homes celebrating the first Obon, becoming a summer tradition in Iwaki City. It is a long-loved local performing art, and has been designated an intangible folk cultural asset of Iwaki City.

MJC Ensemble Profile

The group was formed in June 2009 to continue children's choral activities after all local junior and senior high school choir clubs were disbanded.
In February 2011, just after passing the National Junior Chorus Recording Preliminaries, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident occurred, and although the members were separated, they continued to practice independently in various places and made it to the 2011 Children's Chorus Festival.
Their performances have attracted attention from all quarters, and they have been active both in Japan and abroad, singing the national anthem at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Suzuka Circuit F1 Grand Prix, performing in New York and performing a tribute performance to the Pope at the Vatican in 2012, touring Taiwan, and performing with the Vienna Boys' Choir at the Vienna Philharmonic's Symphony No. 9 Concert. In the summer of 2018, they successfully held their first independent concert in Tokyo since their formation.
Currently, the group continues to spread the energy of Fukushima through music, mainly performing locally, and is expanding its activities to include the areas of hometown reconstruction after the earthquake and rebuilding communication in the region.
This marks the 276th concert since the earthquake.