Waon Project

Hello everyone, happy New Year. This is Eto from Public Relations of HARU.

How did you spend your New Year holidays? For me I went back home, met my old friends, and spent days with my family. But the best thing I was looking forward every year is Wiener Philharmonic New Year Concert! I felt ‘the power of music’ again when I enjoy watching it. People enjoy beautiful harmony and performance, which get us more energy.

Now let me introduce “Waon Project” which is working for disaster area in Japan with the power of music.

Check their website out: http://www.waon-project.com/

The ‘Waon Project’ has two main objectives. The first, collecting unused instruments lying in the cellar at home, and delivering them to the disaster struck regions of Japan. Second, to hold events and concerts to collect donations, which is used to support the ‘Zero-One Project’.

I had a chance to talk with Masayoshi Higashi, a representative of this Waon Project.

Q1. What made you start this project?

A1. I went to the affected area two weeks after the earthquake. I don’t know why but I just thought I should go see there. Then I went around Arahama, Ishinomaki and I was really shocked when I saw the sight with my own eyes. It was totally different from what I knew from TV. . The sounds, stench, scale, the feeling beneath my feet, they were printed in my memory, and I felt that I need to engage myself in lending a helping hand.

After travelling to the affected area, I held a number of charity events and concerts, but at the same time, I realized that they had little influence to the disaster. Half an year later in early October, I went to the sites again and visited the city halls and shelters, to find out ‘what I could really do’. Since my occupation was a music teacher, I made use of my network and met colleagues in the region. There, I found out about the ‘Zero-One Project’, in which the victims themselves ran. Living in Shizuoka Prefecture, which is rather distant from the Tohoku region, I felt that participating in this project would be significant and meaningful. Thus, I decided to support the people who had been organizing musical events, to help rehabilitate North East Japan with the ‘Waon Project’.

Q2. How is the project working so far?

A2. Since this project started last November, there are yet to be achievements. However, as for collecting guitars, we now have over 10 and its number is gradually increasing. As for donations, we have tens of thousands, and they two are increasing by the day.

We have members operating in Shizuoka, Nagoya and Kyoto. 2012 is going to be a big year, as the group will begin fully-fledged activities, and we hope to expand outwards!

Q3. So what are you going to do? What’s your plan?

A3. There will be events held in various places to raise donations. At the same time, we will be looking for partner events to support our project. For further information, please take a look at our website, as we will be notifying from time to time

Q4. Please give us some words for people in the affected area.

A4. I hope that fun times as before or even better times than the past are soon to arrive!

H.Eto