KAMAISHI, Iwate Prefecture--From the depths of the tsunami spawned by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake emerged the lyrics of a song a survivor wrote that touched and encouraged fellow evacuees.
KAMAISHI, Iwate Prefecture--From the depths of the tsunami spawned by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake emerged the lyrics of a song a survivor wrote that touched and encouraged fellow evacuees.
Musician Dan Maekawa, who lost his house and shop here in the March 11 tsunami titled his song, "Inochi no Hana" (Flower of human lives). The song includes the lyrics, "Let's bloom the same number of flowers as that of lost human lives."
He will perform the song in a concert he is giving at the Shinjuku Golden Street Theater in Tokyo on Nov. 10.
Maekawa, 32, also an accessory designer, was working at his shop when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck on March 11. As soon as he felt the violent tremors, he rushed to the locations in which his wife, children and parents were staying and evacuated them all to a hill.
When they arrived at a temple on the hill, the tsunami engulfed his town, washing away his house and shop.
That night, he went out of the main hall of the temple, where it was completely dark and quiet, and innumerable stars were shining in the sky. At that time, the phrase "Innumerable human lives were swallowed by big waves and were lost," came to mind.
When the traditional Buddhist rite marking the seventh day of the people's deaths was held in the temple, Maekawa sang his favorite songs and played a flute in the main hall. About 200 evacuees there listened to the songs. Some said they wanted to listen to his musical performance every day.
While living in the temple, he listened to the feelings of the evacuees and wrote the song, "Inochi no Hana" to encourage them. He also posted the song on the Internet on April 16.
Volunteers who were working in Kamaishi urged him to give concerts in Tokyo.
The tickets for 50 seats to the Nov. 10 concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., have already sold out.
Maekawa plans to hold an additional concert from 4 p.m. the same day. In addition to performing, he will also speak about his experiences during the March 11 disaster. The admission fee is 2,000 yen ($25.60).