Overcoming the Disaster - Gratitude from Japan to the World -

Overcoming the Disaster – Gratitude from Japan to the World -

The Japan Foundation organized a wide range of cultural programs to express Japan's gratitude for the tremendous support received from people across the globe in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11 last year and demonstrate our strong determination to strive toward recovery from the unprecedented disaster. The programs included lectures, documentary films, and architecture and photo exhibitions on themes of the Tohoku region and reconstruction, focused on recovery.

  • Tohoku Folklore Group (Wakumizu Kagura, Kuromori Kagura, Usuzawa Shishiodori), Ondekoza Taiko & Musicians Performances in the USA, France and China
    Wakumizu Kagura from Tono City, which is located inland and served as a hub for providing support to the devastated coastal areas, and Kuromori Kagura and Usuzawa Shishiodori traditional folk entertainment groups from two Tsunami-stricken regions on the Sanriku coast gave performances in the USA, France and China, conveying the feelings of the people of their home districts. Besides the traditional folk performing arts, workshops were held with local children in each city where they made musical instruments from bamboo and performed concerts with an array of performers featuring Ondekoza Taiko, which is known for its energetic wadaiko drumming performances, jazz musicians, Okinawa Sanshin musicians and female Gidayu (reciter in a play) performers.
  • Architecture Exhibition: How Did Architects Respond Immediately after 3/11 (The Great East Japan Earthquake)?
    This exhibition showcased photographic panels and models to introduce various activities conducted by Japanese architects, aimed at assisting in the reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake. There was also a lecture in Paris by Professor Taro Igarashi, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, who was the curator of this exhibition. The exhibition toured Korea and Russia after April.
  • Photo Exhibition: TOHOKU Through the Eyes of Japanese Photographers
    This exhibition was held in Beijing, China to showcase photos taken by photographers who had continued to focus on the true nature of the Tohoku region, with its beautiful scenery and rich culture. The exhibition toured Italy and Australia after Beijing.
  • Distribution of DVD
    The DVDs of four documentary films that portray the recovery from the earthquake and Tsunami in areas that were seriously damaged, as well as selected three films on the subject of recovery from and reconstruction after natural disasters were dispatched to 126 Japanese diplomatic missions and overseas branches of the Japan Foundation around the globe to screen for local audiences. The DVD titles included "Can You See Our Lights? - First Festival after the Tsunami", "Setting Sail from the Ruins", "Fukushima Hula Girls", "WANKO: The Story of Me, My Family, and My Dog", "Eclair", "Haru's Journey" and "Quartet!".
  • Film Screening (New Delhi and Other Cities, January to March 2012)
    New works featuring Tohoku and recovery from disasters such as "WANKO - The Story of Me, My Family and My Dog" and "Eclair", and Yasuzo Masumura's films were screened.
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