Rock band led by the nephew of Sadako Sasaki, the inspiration for the Children’s Peace Monument

Yuji Sasaki (center) performing and appealing for peace.

　Yuji Sasaki, 37, the vocalist of the rock band “God Breath,” sings songs about his aunt, Sadako, to express the importance of peace. Sadako Sasaki was the girl who served as the inspiration for the Children’s Peace Monument.

　Sadako was two years old when Hiroshima was attacked, and though she survived the bombing, she later died of leukemia in 1955. Hoping to overcome her illness, Sadako had folded hundreds of paper cranes until her death at the age of 12. (An old belief in Japan says that paper cranes can make wishes come true.) As a child, Yuji heard her story from his grandparents and, through his music, he wants to continue sharing her life with the world.

　He performs in concerts and at peace events throughout Japan and he also plays his music at schools. From the stage, he tells Sadako’s story and he urges students to “cherish your life”. This is the message he now hands down from his aunt who died so young. (Ryu Kanchika, 17)

Click to watch “God Breath” in concert.

Pianos that survived the bombing produce a peaceful sound

The piano in performance. (photo by Ryu Kanchika, 17)

　Mitsunori Yagawa, 55, a piano tuner from Hiroshima, owns three pianos that survived the atomic bomb. In 2005, for the 60th anniversary of the bombing, he initiated a concert tour with these pianos and, so far, more than 180 concerts have been held throughout Japan.

　In May, Mr. Yagawa hosted a concert in Hiroshima with a piano that had been located just 1.8 kilometers from the hypocenter. The pianist was Miwa Yokoyama, 23, and her performance was accompanied by a reading that related the story of the piano’s history. Ms. Yokoyama was impressed with the piano and remarked, “The sound was so light-it was hard to believe it had been through the bombing.”

　The surface of the piano, though, suffered many scratches as a result of flying glass and debris. But Mr. Yagawa believes it best not to repair the instrument’s appearance so its true impact from the bombing can be seen.

　After a concert, he invites the audience to touch the piano and feel its scars. He hopes “young people can reflect on the atomic bomb by listening to these pianos and touching them”. (Ryu Kanchika, 17)

Mitsunori Yagawa

Click to watch a concert with the piano.

A song based on the poem,“We Shall Bring Forth New Life”,

Czech Girls Choir “Jitro”

“Jitro” singing “We shall Bring Forth New Life”.

　In the basement of a broken building, a baby was born, but the midwife who helped deliver the baby died soon after… This is the story told in poet Sadako Kurihara’s masterpiece “We Shall Bring Forth New Life”. In May, a song based on this poem was sung in Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima.

　The song was composed by Yukitake Nakamura, 63, who was a friend of the poet while she was alive. He composed this 10-minute piece for the Czech Girls Choir “Jitro”, who visited Japan on a “tour of peace”. The song began in a darker mood, but the girls’ voices gradually sang out with hope. “Jitro” will sing this song in countries around the world.

Click to watch the “Jitro” concert.

Kokarina musician, Kurotaro Kurosaka< 57, Saitama Prefecture >

Kurotaro Kurosaka

　A kokarina is a wooden ocarina. The kokarina musician, Kurotaro Kurosaka, has made eight kokarinas from a tree that survived the atomic bomb. He says, “It produces a clear, beautiful sound. I can feel the tree’s power-the power that overcame the hardship of the bombing.”

　That tree was a hackberry which was standing in the garden of the army hospital, in the city center, when Hiroshima was bombed. Although it was terribly burnt, it still stood as a silent witness to the bombing until it fell from a typhoon in 1984.

　Mr. Kuroda plays his original song “Sky” on this kokarina. The song’s lively melody was inspired by the tree’s vitality.

Kokarina made from the tree that survived the bombing.

Click to listen to “Sky”.

Performance of traditional Japanese music

Hiroshima Traditional Japanese Music Association

Performing at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

　The Hiroshima Traditional Japanese Music Association is composed of musicians living in Hiroshima who play the koto and the bamboo flute. Through their concerts, they appeal for peace both inside and outside Japan. In 2005, they performed at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland and, in 1995, they held a concert at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

　These concerts were realized as a result of the efforts of the Association’s President, Tomoko Fukumori.

Click to watch their performance.

Singing songs for peace, Hiroshima Boys Choir

Hiroshima Boys Choir singing in front of the Children’s Peace Monument.

　The Hiroshima Boys Choir was founded in 1960. Currently, 42 boys from the Hiroshima area, of all ages, take part in this choir. They perform regularly in local and international concerts.

　In their repertoire, they have many peace-related songs, such as “Let’s Give Flowers”. Through these songs, they try to share the heart of Hiroshima. One member, Tomonori Osedo, 10, said, “As I sing, I’m thinking about the meaning of the songs and sending a message of peace.”

Click to listen to the Hiroshima Boys Choir.