[news] White Team Host, Arashi, presents the "Tohoku Support Project"

[acidae.livejournal.com]

White Team host, Arashi, presents the "Tohoku Support Project":
"Let us sing for the future*. ~Nippon no Arashi 'Furusato'~"

*Note: In Japanese, あした/明日 can either mean tomorrow or future in general. I chose to translate the あした in あしたを歌おう (ashita wo utaou) as future rather than tomorrow because it fits better in this context and makes more sense. Feel free to ignore if you disagree though!

The White Team host, Arashi, will be acting as the presenters in delivering this Tohoku support project. "Furusato" was a song that was specially produced for last year's Kouhaku. People's "feelings towards their hometowns" have grown even stronger this year, and we hope to convey them through this song. The lyricist, Koyama Kundou, has added a second verse to the existing lyrics. Also, this "Furusato" will be used as the image song of the "62th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen".

A piano that had been damaged by the tsunami was used for many years in the gymnasium of a middle school in the Fukushima prefecture. That school just so happened to be holding its graduation ceremony on the day of the earthquake. After being waterlogged and covered in sand from the earthquake-triggered tsunami, the piano underwent careful repairs under the hands of a local piano business and has since had its sound miraculously restored. The piano has been borrowed for this show and will be played by Arashi's Sakurai Sho-san on stage. Through this restored piano - a symbol of revival - everyone across the nation, everyone singing in this Kouhaku, and of course the members of Arashi, will come together and sing "Furusato" in a heartfelt chorus. This is a special segment that will impart the undying radiance of our hometowns, as well as our belief in the future.

A piano brought back to life over the span of half a year.
Even now, countless scars remain upon it.
But its clear timbre still resonates.
I will be performing "Furusato", keeping the feelings of Endou-san, the piano tuner, as well as the children of Fukushima in mind as I do.

- Sakurai Sho

Source: NHK Kouhaku

(For pictures of the piano's restoration process, you can check out this gallery!)

Comments

[paku-romi.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh! Sho-chan is going to play the piano!!! I thought they would just buy another piano; it really is a miracle how it was able to work again. This is going to be a really powerful performance.

[keshigomiu.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I've never longed this much for a year to end.. >_<

Thank you for the information!

*crying*

[baboy-19.livejournal.com]

shall watch this on my TV!! it'll be broadcast! have to ask mom if I can get TVJapan even just for a month...

[green-yeti.livejournal.com]

Sho-kun + piano. OMG it's been quite awhile!!

[edneichon.livejournal.com]

first i was like
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwfmcnBxpv1qzpkdyo1_250.gif?o=2)
then is natural to think we are like
(http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwx5ceHqqW1qcx8rbo1_500.gif?o=2)
..in the perf we are gonna ended up like....
(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwx7zicNYU1qacbyq.gif?o=2)
..lol..looks like a tumbrl post xD
but..cant wait~

[helenmaldon.livejournal.com]

Sho playing a recovered piano?? I'm tearing up already!!

[assylahodreal.livejournal.com]

Thanks for translating♪♫♪

[oclone123.livejournal.com]

This is a must-see event! I hope it comes out as a special CD/DVD with the proceeds going to the restoration project. Thank so much for the translation.

[kiriezero.livejournal.com]

woooh O.O! that's a big responsability for Sho! I hope everything goes fine and he doesn't get nervous.... good luck to Sho!
thanks for translating this info!

[coolncute.livejournal.com]

that will be a beautiful performance :)

[sesquerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for translating and sharing! This is so touching! I can´t wait to see Sho-chan, the piano and the other four! ^.^

[junbaitarashian.livejournal.com]

it will be a beautiful performance by Sho-san indeed :]

[kanu-x.livejournal.com]

It will be a grand performance.
And Sho playing the piano xD

[takakuflyme.livejournal.com]

that's very impressive and heart-warming. good luck to sho-kun on his performance! we all know that he'll practice hard.

thank you for sharing this gem of a story! =)

[a-horsie.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is going to be beautiful. I loved Furusato and hearing the piano can only be amazing.

Thanks for sharing this translation with us.

[deelovesryo.livejournal.com]

so touching! I wish Sho-chan the best for his performance! sure it will be a great show, hope Arashi's team wins!

[dingdong2988.livejournal.com]

It will be such a meaningful preformance! I hope Sho won't give too much pressure to himself. He will have all the support from us! So looking forward for it already XD

[mellastella.livejournal.com]

i'm so excited to see this. i hope someone will post it so i can watch it "live", too.
and break a leg, sho-chan! :)

[hedwig3.livejournal.com]

Sho will be playing the piano...
Cool! Can't wait to watch.

He hasn't ever played it for TV, has he? Has he ever played it live?

[clara-maria.livejournal.com]

wow - Sho is definitely getting the stage this year, his piano-training during the last year seems to be really useful now - I am really looking forward to this perfomance, I'm sure it will be very touching!

[mugen-ai3.livejournal.com]

I literally have chills right now. I am sitting here on my lunch break crying I'm so touched...piano. I cannot express myself coherently at the moment, just let me say god bless.

[simopimo.livejournal.com]

Now I can't wait to see the show more than before!!!! I almost crying now,can't imagine what I'll do when they'll perform "Furusato" with that piano!

[fasha-chan.livejournal.com]

I've come across this piece of news earlier and couldn't be happier. I simply can't wait to see it!

[ohsyojdub.livejournal.com]

I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Thanks for sharing this info!

[ghol88.livejournal.com]

I'm really touched by this.
with this in mind, watching this performance will surely make me cry.

thank you so much for translating.~♥