Concerts with A-bombed piano set for September in New York
Jan. 21, 2010
by Kenji Ishida, Staff Writer
A charity concert will be held at "Portpia Habu," a community center on the island of Innoshima near the city of Hiroshima, on February 21 in order to raise financial support for the first overseas concerts with a restored A-bombed piano. The overseas concerts will be held in New York in September. Tadashi Aoki, 65, the owner of a cram school, is organizing the charity concert with the help of others.
The concerts in New York will be held at six venues, including "Pier 40" in Manhattan, for a week centering on September 11, the day the 2001 terrorist attacks took place in the United States. The concerts will be an appeal for peace that links the indiscriminate terrorist attacks against civilians in the United States with the atomic bombings in Japan. For the concerts, "Misako's A-bombed piano," which was exposed to the atomic bombing at a house in Hiroshima and restored five years ago by Mitsunori Yagawa, 57, a local piano tuner, will be used.
Munefumi Takemoto, 51, a photographer and a resident of the city of Hatsukaichi, had learned that Mr. Yagawa, who has organized concerts with an A-bombed piano in various locations in Japan, was keen to hold a concert overseas. Mr. Takemoto then helped him pursue the concerts in the United States. They have been busy looking for local groups in New York that will provide support for producing the concerts as well as conducting a fundraising campaign to solicit donations for the costs involved, including the expense of shipping the piano.
Mr. Takemoto and Mr. Yagawa are both second-generation A-bomb survivors. Mr. Takemoto serves as chair of a nonprofit group dedicated to children and peace which offers paper lanterns by the A-bomb Dome on August 6. He has also attended the memorial service for the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Mr. Takemoto said, "I hope that bringing the A-bombed piano to the United States will encourage U.S. President Barack Obama, who is calling for a world without nuclear weapons."
Mr. Aoki jointly organized a piano concert with Mr. Yagawa at the memorial service of last July 28 for victims of the air raids on Innoshima Island that took place during World War II. Mr. Aoki described the aims of the charity concert, saying, "The talk by Mr. Takemoto and Mr. Yagawa, and the piano concert, will surely be meaningful to the many A-bomb survivors living on the island. At the same time, we hope to raise support for the concerts in New York."
The charity concert will be held twice at 10:30 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m.
(Originally published on January 21, 2010)
A charity concert will be held at "Portpia Habu," a community center on the island of Innoshima near the city of Hiroshima, on February 21 in order to raise financial support for the first overseas concerts with a restored A-bombed piano. The overseas concerts will be held in New York in September. Tadashi Aoki, 65, the owner of a cram school, is organizing the charity concert with the help of others.
The concerts in New York will be held at six venues, including "Pier 40" in Manhattan, for a week centering on September 11, the day the 2001 terrorist attacks took place in the United States. The concerts will be an appeal for peace that links the indiscriminate terrorist attacks against civilians in the United States with the atomic bombings in Japan. For the concerts, "Misako's A-bombed piano," which was exposed to the atomic bombing at a house in Hiroshima and restored five years ago by Mitsunori Yagawa, 57, a local piano tuner, will be used.
Munefumi Takemoto, 51, a photographer and a resident of the city of Hatsukaichi, had learned that Mr. Yagawa, who has organized concerts with an A-bombed piano in various locations in Japan, was keen to hold a concert overseas. Mr. Takemoto then helped him pursue the concerts in the United States. They have been busy looking for local groups in New York that will provide support for producing the concerts as well as conducting a fundraising campaign to solicit donations for the costs involved, including the expense of shipping the piano.
Mr. Takemoto and Mr. Yagawa are both second-generation A-bomb survivors. Mr. Takemoto serves as chair of a nonprofit group dedicated to children and peace which offers paper lanterns by the A-bomb Dome on August 6. He has also attended the memorial service for the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Mr. Takemoto said, "I hope that bringing the A-bombed piano to the United States will encourage U.S. President Barack Obama, who is calling for a world without nuclear weapons."
Mr. Aoki jointly organized a piano concert with Mr. Yagawa at the memorial service of last July 28 for victims of the air raids on Innoshima Island that took place during World War II. Mr. Aoki described the aims of the charity concert, saying, "The talk by Mr. Takemoto and Mr. Yagawa, and the piano concert, will surely be meaningful to the many A-bomb survivors living on the island. At the same time, we hope to raise support for the concerts in New York."
The charity concert will be held twice at 10:30 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m.
(Originally published on January 21, 2010)
