Name: Haruo IMAIZUMI

Age: 70

(Age 57 in March 2011)

Birthplace: Futaba Town

Home address: Motomiya City

Occupation: Storyteller

(Company employee in March 2011)

‘Preserving the sound of Futaba’

① Before the disaster, at the most I did about 60 shows per year, at a rate of 1 show per week. I was asked to do shows not just in Fukushima Prefecture, but all around the country, expanding the scope of my work. Combining it with my job and family has at times caused a bit of a strain, but when I performed and heard the applause from the audience, I always felt elated.

② It just so happened that we had planned a performance the day after the disaster, so all our taiko-drum gear was in a moving truck, which itself was parked at the house of a member of the group, so it was easy to move our equipment. If our stuff had still been at the gymnasium, we would not have been able to retrieve it easily, and may not have been able to do the Sendan Taiko performance activities.

③ The group members were all scattered over different evacuation locations throughout the country, so we thought it would be impossible to get everyone together, and refused at first. But – especially given the situation – we decided to do it after all, so people might realize, “Sendan Taiko is doing well! The members are all fine!” This performance is what gave us strength for performances to come.

④ The evacuees watched our performance with tears in their eyes. “I’m so glad I got to hear a performance I never thought I’d hear again!” “It really gave me strength” “I can work a little harder now.” Even though we did it out of our own sense of duty, responsibility, and calling, it was a moment that made me glad we kept it up.

⑤ Because there were people who cried watching our performance, I could keep it up, even if we all evacuated far apart from each other. Taiko(drum) really does bring people together and makes them feel as one. We now consider the Sendan Taiko as the sound of Futaba town, and the people of the town likely feel so as well.

⑥ The people of Hawaii, who felt firsthand the fear of losing their traditional culture, told us, “We want to inherit the culture of the Futaba Bon-Uta.” The dance was perfect, and so was the taiko (drum) performance and the way they wore the yukatas, which at first was a bit of a shock to me. But the fact that they want to inherit it like this made me feel grateful.

⑦ People who moved to Hawaii, and their ancestors have a saying: “Even if the land you live in changes, a singing heart never does.” The desire and sense of duty to maintain the traditional culture of Sendan Taiko (drum) is really strong. I feel it is something that we must never lose and keep passing on as long as we live.”

CAPTION

・The performance at the Taiko-festival at Yurakus Atami in Koriyama (June 2011) ※Taiko is Japanese drum.

・Performance for evacuees at an event at the evacuation shelter.

・A photo taken during the concert tour at the island of Maui (Hawaii) in August 2014.

・ The bon-dance held on the island of Maui.  The Bon-uta (song for bon) of Futaba Town was also performed here.