FY 2022 Archives

Yamada Town

This concert was a community participation event, with over 100 local residents taking the stage. At the beginning of the show, the Yamada Junior High School Brass Band performed a medley of famous J-POP songs under the title Medley of Hits to Encourage Japan. The main hall of the Yamada Central Community Center was filled with a crowd of about 600 happy people. The hip-hop dance performance by the Yamada Nakayoshi Dance Club, a group of local elementary-through-high-school students, drew great applause, and the choral singing by the Izumi no Kai Chorus and the Yamada Town Junior Chorus Group brought tears to the eyes of many in attendance.
In the second half of the concert, the famous a cappella group, Circus, performed with local flutist Ayuko Yamazaki, who enchanted the entire hall with five tunes, including her signature song, “American Feeling.”

Shinchi Town

The Soso district along the northern coast of Fukushima Prefecture, where Shinchi Town is located, was severely damaged by the tsunami. The memories of the earthquake that struck in March of 2011 are still fresh in everyone’s minds. The local media commented that it was very significant to hold this concert in such an area.
The venue was filled to capacity, and local teams, including the Shinchi Shoei Junior High School Brass Band, the Soma Men’s Chorus, and the South American folklore band Amigos de Shinchi, appeared one after another.
Special guest Aki Yashiro drew the audience into her world, singing “Ame no Bojo” and “Funauta” and many other big hits. Despite the solemn occasion, the venue was filled with a positive feeling, and the smiles on everyone's faces left a lasting impression.

Shichigahama Town

Unfortunately, due to lingering concerns about the pandemic, the audience was limited to half the usual number of people, but all 200 tickets disappeared within 30 minutes, showing that the concert was a high-profile event.
The show opened with "Love Japan," a dance performance by the members of the Yosakoi group Tsukiyomi that included full audience participation. After the dance, Akane Morikawa with the Beach Sevens provided musical entertainment. Special guest Machiko Watanabe gave an exciting stage performance, not only singing hit songs such as "Lost on the Road,” but also entertaining the audience with her humorous monologue. Then, as the intro to her signature tune, "The Day the Seagulls Flew Away" started to play, the curtains behind the stage suddenly opened, revealing the ocean behind a large rear window and styrofoam seagulls fluttering in the air. The audience cheered in unison at this unique sight, marking the highlight of a wonderful performance.