[TOKYO, JAPAN, 25 November 2011]
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF/2011/Takuma Suda |
| On 23 November, students from Miyagi Prefecture Agricultural High School and Watari High School accept “Solidarity Books” from 1st concertmaster Mr. Daishin Kashimoto at the beginning of the TDK Orchestra Concert. |
On 11 March 2011 a massive earthquake and tsunami left East Japan in shambles. The news of the disaster traveled to Germany, more than 9,000 kilometers away, in a matter of minutes. The images broadcasted on television, newspapers and the Internet made a major impact on the children in Germany.
“What can we do?”
The children of Germany expressed their feelings and messages of encouragement for the children in the affected areas in the form of letters, drawings and poems. Messages of solidarity received from across Germany where compiled in to seven “Solidarity Books”, which were presented at a Great East Japan Earthquake assistance charity concert held at the end of May with the participation of 1st concertmaster Mr. Daishin Kashimoto, the Berliner Philharmoniker and others.
On 23 November the TDK Orchestra Concert 2011 was held by the Berliner Philharmoniker at Suntory Hall in Tokyo’s Akasaka district under the theme “A concert for the children of Japan and the world”. At the beginning of the concert, the Solidarity Books, which contain he messages from German children, were presented by Mr. Kishimoto to children invited to represent Miyagi Prefecture in front of more than 2,000 audience members and the 120-member orchestra.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF/2011/Takuma Suda | © Japan Committee for UNICEF/2011/Takuma Suda | |
| Children from Miyagi Prefecture were invited to the 23 November TDK Orchestra concert public rehearsal of the Berliner Philharmoniker. | Mr. Kishimoto and the orchestra members that visited Sendai on 21 November pose together with children invited to the TDK Orchestra Concert public rehearsal. |
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF/2011/Mariko Miura |
| A mini concert was held on 21 November in the gymnasium of Tsutsujigaoka Primary School in Sendai City. |
Below are messages received from children that attended the mini concert held in the gymnasium of Tsutsujigaoka Primary School in Sendai City on 21 November.
On 25 November, before the Berliner Philharmoniker and conductor Simon Rattle returned to Germany, they offered the following message as a Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF.
“The Berliner Philharmoniker has many fans and longtime music lover friends in Japan. There are even three Japanese members in our orchestra. That is one reason why we were so shocked at the news of the major disaster on 11 March. We offer our deepest condolences to all of the disaster victims.”
“On our trip to Japan we learned that people seriously affected by the disaster worked tremendously hard to deliver UNICEF assistance to child disaster victims. Moreover, a large number of people that received UNICEF assistance in response to the disaster have already begun to provide assistance to children in other countries around the world. We are very impressed with these efforts” “It is an honor to have been able to cooperate in assistance activities in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, helping the children and disaster victims of the Tohoku region, as a UNICEF team member. We intend to continue to work with the people of Japan in extending assistance to children in need around the world.”