Concerts in Shelters

"Please come back! And play longer next time!" people greeted us as we said goodbye. These video clips are from two concerts given for people evacuated from their homes around Fukushima nuclear power plants to shelters in Iwaki on April 14-15. On the second day, we were joined by gospel singer Daisuke Yokoyama. It was my first time to carry the digital organ to a shelter. People loved it!

After giving the concert at Taira Kyoikukan, we walked around the room and asked if anybody would like a massage. While rubbing one lady's back, she told me how her house was not inside the evacuation zone but was in danger of falling down. Two weeks after the original quake, she did go back to her house to try to live in it until the huge aftershock we had last week. She said "That's enough!" and went back to the shelter. Don't underestimate the psychological stress of hour after hour of aftershocks. We had one just a few minutes ago!