The power of Music: JSDFMARCHING Festival shakes Budokan
Tetsuo Nakahara
Torii Staff
Photo by Tetsuo Nakahara
Members of the 296th Army Band from Camp Zama perform the popular Japanese song "Sekai ni Hitotsutake no Hana" during the marching festival.
As hundreds of players pounded Japanese taiko drums in the famed Nippon Budokan concert hall in Tokyo, the powerful sound shook the venue and touched the audience's heart during the Japan Self Defense-Force's annual marching festival, held Nov. 18 and 19.
The show was performed by approximately 1,000 top musicians, including those from various marching bands and drill teams throughout every branch of the JSDF as well as the 296th Army Band and Okinawa Marine Band. More than 39,000 people attended the six shows that were put on during the two-day event.
More than 30 Soldiers from the USARJ band performed "Sekai ni Hitotsudake no Hana," a popular Japanese song. The largely native audience clapped and sang along to the well-known tune.
This year, the marching festival's theme centered on the remembrance of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and Japan's subsequent recovery efforts. More than 1,300 people from the affected areas attended and the shows, including a high-school and junior-high student marching band club.
"There are a couple of organizations here from the affected areas in the Tohoku region, and seeing them come out with smiles on their faces and perform is inspiring to know that no matter what has happened, they are able to press forward and show that people in Japan are strong," said Spc. Cameron Blackhurst, of the 296th Army Band, who sang the Japanese song onstage.
Photo by Tetsuo Nakahara
The 296th Army Band and Okinawa Marine Band perform together on the floor of the Nippon Budokan hall.
"We are really grateful because we feel like our band is an important link between the U.S. and Japan - not only as a representative of USARJ, but we feel like a representative of our entire country being here," added Blackhurst. "So we feel that when we perform, we try to let the Japanese people know that we encourage them and we are here to support them. We feel like we're acting as the voice of the country of America."
The approximately two-hour show included a flag performance by the color guard, a rifle show by JSDF cadets, and of course the taiko drum performance by more than 600 players from the JSDF.
"It would be great if our traditional taiko playing, which we call Yamato Damashii (Japanese spirit), can help to make a stronger partnership with the U.S. military through this music festival." said JGSDF Warrant Officer Mitsuki Yamashiro, leader of the Hokkai Self-Defense Taiko Drum Team. "This year was very special because some of our players were actually affected by the disaster. They played with spirit to show that Japanese are strong and we are moving forward."