#Song #Power of Art SEIKYO STUDIO Playlist → • SEIKYO STUDIO In the midst of a tough social situation, such as the spread of the new coronavirus, we want to experience rich art and feel hope for tomorrow. "SEIKYO STUDIO" will be streaming videos from various artists. This time, as a special project to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we will be presenting "Flowers Bloom" by singer-songwriter Mika Ushikui from Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, and pianist Takanori Watanabe from Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture. We will deliver singing voices of hope along with photos of people living in the disaster-stricken areas published in this paper. * Singer-songwriter Mika Ushikui is from Namie Town. There is a song she wrote in evacuation shelter three days after the disaster. "I was born and raised in Namie Town." She put her feelings for her hometown into the title of the song and released an album of the same name the year after the disaster. --I loved singing from an early age, but reality pushed my dream away. She became a mother at a young age, and every day she does her best to survive with her daughter. On 3/11, 10 years ago, she was working at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant as an employee of a partner company. The nuclear accident took away everything from her home, her job, and her hometown. She is living in evacuation in Gunma Prefecture with her daughter. In the midst of her anxiety, the tip of her pen moved and a song was born. She has continued to sing and hold concerts to support reconstruction efforts. Believing that one day we will all look up at the sky of Namie again. Even after moving to Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, she has continued to hold concerts to support reconstruction efforts. Believing that one day we will all look up at the sky of Namie again. Okuma Town still has many areas where it is difficult to return. Takanori Watanabe, who grew up in this town, has always pursued the dream of becoming a pianist. She graduated from music college and finally became a professional. The earthquake occurred two weeks before her first recital. Naturally, the recital was canceled. She was not even able to touch the piano during her evacuation life, and her dream "ended abruptly." After that, he became a high school music teacher in Iwaki City. When he became the advisor for the brass band club, he was encouraged by the students' passion for music. If he misses even one day of practice, the pianist's fingers stop moving. He quit his job as a teacher and devoted himself to practice to make up for the three-year gap. In March 2015, four years after the earthquake, he gave a comeback recital. "Recovery for me was to realize one by one the things that I couldn't do because of the earthquake." * Until now, Ushikui felt that the beautiful lyrics of "Hana wa Saku" were far removed from the reality of his hometown, and he was unable to sing it. "After 10 years, I have finally become someone who can empathize with these lyrics." No matter how much pain you feel or how many unrewarding days you may have, spring will always come. No matter how harsh the winter, flowers will always bloom in spring. I hope you will listen to "Hana wa Saku" performed by these two artists while thinking about the past 10 years. [Ushiku Mika] Gorai Mika Born in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture After the earthquake, she continued living in evacuation shelters while performing live concerts to support the reconstruction effort. She sings songs such as "Someday, I'll See the Sky of Namie Again," which she composed thinking of her hometown. https://mica-gorai.jimdofree.com/ [Watanabe Takanori] Born in Okuma Town, Fukushima Prefecture After the earthquake, she was forced to give up her dream of becoming a pianist for a time. After holding her long-cherished recital in 2015, she has been performing energetically all over the country. https://takanoriwatanabe.jimdofree.com/ 【Seikkyo Shimbun Official YouTube Channel】 / seikyoshimbun ■Seikkyo Online Editionhttps://www.seikyoonline.com/ ◇Click here for news and serial articles https://www.seikyoonline.com/news/ ◇Click here for articles about Daisaku Ikeda https://www.seikyoonline.com/president/ ◇Click here for the Human Revolution search service https://www.seikyoonline.com/search_n... ◇Audio reading of "The New Human Revolution" now available♪ (paid members only) https://www.seikyoonline.com/voice/in... ◇Click here for the digital special page https://www.seikyoonline.com/digital/ ◇Click here for the special page for young people https://www.seikyoonline.com/youth/yo...