Smile for Japan! Activities
In addition to the annual fund-raising event, Smile for Japan! team is seeking various ways through art and music to support people affected by Tohoku Earthquake, raise awareness of on-going radiation danger, and keep the long-term effects of these disasters in public memory.
Shamisen Performance
We have invited Kumiya, a professional shamisen (traditional Japanese string instrument) player, singer, and teacher to perform at various locations around Seattle and also at our fundraising event. She has also shared her first-hand experiences of the 2011 disaster with Seattle residents who appreciate and are interested in music and Japanese music and culture.
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Japanese Handmade Craft WorkshopWe offer workshops to introduce traditional Japanese handmade crafts that all Japanese children grow up making and give hands-on experience of how to make them, as a way of sharing Japanese culture.
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Jazz and Taiko Project
Miho, one of the organizers, has been collaborating with a composer, Dr. Masayoshi Ishikawa (originally from Fukushima and studied jazz composition at several colleges in the US), to present a series of concerts in Seattle. The concerts feature one of Dr. Ishikawa’s pieces that he composed in response to the 2011 earthquake in Japan. At present, the confirmed concerts are scheduled to be held at Tula’s Jazz Club and Roosevelt High School. 2 more concerts are currently pending due to schools’ schedule.
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