Descriptions:
March marks the 13th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. For the past six months, young people who know nothing about that time have been trying to stage a play on the theme of the coastal region of the city of Sendai, which was damaged by the tsunami. The goal of the project is to convey the history and culture of the region. The “generation that doesn’t know about the catastrophic earthquake” learns through the play. “If you make any noise, I’ll shoot you!” Yume Yuzuhara from Fukuoka Prefecture. I started living in Sendai in 2022 when I entered university. Yume Yuzuhara (19), a second-year student at the Faculty of Agriculture at Tohoku University: “When I decided to enroll at Tohoku University and thought about it again, I realized that I wanted to challenge myself and learn from what I would face in the future.” that’s why I decided to participate in the theater. Yuzuhara took part in the theatrical performance “The Voice”, which took place on the coast of the city of Sendai. The Sendai City Citizens’ Cultural Corporation has taken the lead in recruiting young people in their teens to 20s living in the prefecture. The goal of the project is to teach the younger generation to pass on the culture and history of the region lost as a result of the earthquake. Participants also create their own scenarios. “There is a legend that many foxes cross the Natori River.” Asuka Motomura moved to Sendai from Ishikawa Prefecture three years ago. The reason I participated was because I didn’t know anything about the earthquake. Asuka Motomura (16 years old), 2nd year student at Sendai High School, drama club: “My club was going to put on a play about the earthquake, and my friends created a play remembering the earthquake, but I didn’t have any memories of it, so I left it’s at rest. It felt like something was happening, so I decided to get involved.” Planning began about four months ago. On this day, 14 young people who applied met for the first time. Yume Yuzuhara (19 years old) “I was in second grade at the time of the earthquake, and from what I’ve heard so far, it’s a little far for me.” Asuka Motomura (age 16) “I love theater and want to go to college or work in the community.” I want to continue doing theater even after I become an adult.” The plays will be divided into three teams and will be performed in three locations in the Miyagino area: Takasago, Rokugo. and Shichigo. It was decided that Yuzuhara-san and Motomura-san would perform as a team on the theme “Shichigo District”. From then on, the Yuzuharas met almost every week, traveling to coastal areas and listening to stories from local residents to create scripts for their performances. Local storyteller: “Before the earthquake, there were 1,100 families living in the four districts of the city where farmers specialized in agriculture.” I learned about the earthquake by seeing it with my own eyes and by exploring the area. We are working on the original script for the play itself in March of this year. An interim presentation was held in January before the event itself. “Wassoy!” “Wassoy!” 27 people from the local community and others who told the story watched as spectators. “Apparently there was a case where a high school student was teaching a junior student to swim, and this is how it happened. “Wow!” This was the first time they performed in front of people, but the participants performed with all their hearts and dignity. The performance of the team of Yuzuhara-san and Motomura-san began. “What else happened?” “Yes, we have always had children under our care.” The story describes the history of the area and the lives of the people as seen from the pine trees of the Shichigo area. Yume Yuzuhara (19) “It expresses the everyday aspects of the lives of the people who lived in Shichigo by interacting with the pine trees.” At the end, the story also touches on the situation during the Ta earthquake. “This is breaking news. The warning has been changed to a major tsunami.” “It has changed! It’s gotten bigger!” “If you want to escape, Shichigo Elementary School might be the best place.” “ “Let’s run!” Performed by young people who do not know about the earthquake or the history of the disaster area. So how did this come about? Audience member: “This was a wonderful performance, I am very grateful that our hometown can be represented through such a play.” “It was a wonderful play, so realistic that I cried while listening to it. story. Thank you”. The reaction from the locals seemed to be a big help for Yuzuhara and Motomura. Asuka Motomura (16 years old) “When they said something like ‘Thank you,’ I really felt like it meant something and again I thought that I would like to reach more people.” Yume Yuzuhara (19 years old) “I thought that from now on it would be possible to express something like the importance of conveying this, and I wanted to keep this in mind during the performance itself.” How can we convey the history and culture of a region that was lost in the earthquake? Shall we go? On March 9, the youth performance “The Voice” will be presented at the Miyagino Cultural Center.