STAMFORD,
CT – As the six-month anniversary of the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami
nears, many are still reeling from the massive loss of life resulting from the
nation’s worst-ever natural disaster. Hope for the future, though, can be found
in remarkable gestures of help and compassion – both large and small. In the hard-hit
town of Ishinomaki, hope exists in the form of a restored piano thought lost to
the thick layers of mud and debris brought inland by the tsunami.
With
the assistance of AmeriCares partner Peace Boat, volunteers descended on
Ishinomaki to assist in a massive clean-up. Among the businesses included in
the recovery effort was the Sarukoya Music Store, a family-owned business
operated for 90 years. The tsunami tore through the music store, thrusting instruments
through the front windows. The shop’s proprietor, Mr. Inoue, found one of his
cherished pianos in the street, crushed under a car. He was convinced his
business was forever ruined.
In
mid-June, however, Mr. Inoue accepted an offer from the Peace Boat volunteers
to reclaim his shop from the ruins. Volunteers, some armed with toothbrushes,
painstakingly cleaned the shop and salvageable instruments for weeks. Mr. Inoue
himself undertook the most important project: restoring the one piano to
survive among the 30 once in his store.
This
one piano, though perhaps never again pitch-perfect, has become a symbol of
restoration for all in Ishinomaki. On September 11, the six-month anniversary
of the disaster, famed Japanese performer Kumiko will play Mr. Inoue’s piano at
a memorial concert. And the Sarukoya Music Store will likely see its 100th
anniversary, which only months ago seemed impossible to the Inoue family.
Music,
and hope, has returned to Ishinomaki.
Note:
B-roll of the Ishinomaki memorial concert, Mr. Inoue and his restored piano and
the Sarukoya Music Store will be available the week of September 12.
