It’s been three years since March 11, 2011, when the horrific jaws of a tsunami and earthquake swallowed up thousands of lives in Japan, causing over a billion dollars in property damage.
Upon revisiting the small fishermen city of Ishinomaki, it is plain to see the residents, city workers and volunteers are diligently working toward revitalization. Many displaced folks living in shelters are now in temporary housing facilities, where they can remain for two years, after which they will move, hopefully, into an apartment or a new house.
Some of the businesses that were destroyed or badly damaged have been refurbished and are open. A stylish T-shirt shop sells a shirt that says, “Never Give Up.”
International singer-songwriter Okaru Lovelace, who resides in New York City, recently returned home to Japan to visit the devastated area of Ishinomaki City, where she originally performed as part of her “Music Heals” project for the Ginga Restaurant and Bar just months after the tsunami.
On this occasion, she was invited back to perform by Ginga’s owner, Yuriko Oono. The sold-out show brought smiles to many faces and the songs (originals and standards) from her just-released CD, “Sakura, Home of My Heart,” ignited active audience participation. “This CD is dedicated to Japan and the victims of the tsunami, and I wanted to bring the music to them first. This is healing music for them and their feeling better is my award.”
On Lovelace’s first visit to Ishinomaki, she was inspired to write the title cut, “Sakura.” She wrote the song at Hiyoriyama Park. This was the hill where many people were saved by running to higher ground.
Ginga had to relocate a few blocks away, which doesn’t offer the same busy thoroughfare of people they enjoyed. Loyal customers who were also victims of the tsunami still attend regularly. This new location is smaller and Lovelace was not able to have her original accompaniment, but her enticing vocal instrument prevailed.
A few days later, Lovelace was performing with the Ishinomaki Jazz Band–friends she sang with at the old Ginga–at an outdoor concert in the Ishinomaki City Temporary Recovery Market, which offers seating for its live stage shows.
This site was a lively residential and business area with restaurants and stores; the entire area was totally destroyed. Now, some of these businesses have returned and seem to be thriving in this temporary marketplace.
In the midst of it all is the Visitor’s Center, which has become a popular tourist attraction–Ray Dorsey, an R&B singer with the Drifters, was a recent visitor–with its dramatic photo exhibit displaying cars and boats turned over in the streets just days after the disaster. The photos also document the community’s progress as it works its way back to normalcy. This was Lovelace’s primary goal for returning home–to perform for the victims of the tsunami and hopefully give them hope and raise their spirits through her music.
“Each time I return, these people are giving me power,” she stated. “I am not giving to them. We are sharing through the music.”
While Ishinomaki City has become a tourist attraction, with people coming from all over Japan to witness the terrible destruction, very few focus on Onagawa City, which had much more damage. The two cities are less than an hour’s drive apart. Here we actually saw a two-story building upside down–the building was sitting on its roof. Now that is scary. How high and strong does a wave have to be to pull a building from its foundation and flip it over?
The desolate area of Onagawa now has a temporary housing complex, where Lovelace visited musician and friend Mr. Aoto. This site was originally a baseball field; the stands still remain.
The alto saxophone player and his wife lost everything, including his sax and record collection. He played with Lovelace on her last gig at Ginga. He can’t practice because of the close quarters, but he is writing music and requested that Lovelace write lyrics for four of the tunes. She has written lyrics for his ballad “Road to Recovery” and hopes to perform it with him sometime in the future.
In her hometown of Mt. Daisen, Lovelace was involved in two projects; she conducted a “Peace and Music” class for fifth and sixth-graders at her former elementary school. The discussion connected peace through music, relating it to her previously recorded “Flame of Wishing Star,” about the eternal flame from the Hiroshima bombing. The students responded with a peace song entitled “The World of the Children.”
Her second project is with Shinichi Matsubara, who founded the “Singing Salon,” a group of 20 senior citizens. He says singing is good for mental and physical health and most importantly they find it very enjoyable.
Lovelace is very happy to be part of this project because since her father is one of the singers. He joined the “Singing Salon” after recuperating from heart surgery. Lovelace will sing with the ensemble at the local community center cafe and introduce her original song ,”Welcome to Mt. Daisen,” and songs from “Sakura.” Eventually, she would like to record the vocals of the students and seniors on her planned recording of “Welcome to Mt. Daisen.”
It must be noted that the camaraderie among these small business owners is heartwarming and inspiring. We ate at the Cafe Apricot and wanted to dine there the next day, but upon arriving, the owner, Mr. Suda, suggested we try another restaurant around the corner that could use the business. It demonstrates that during disasters, people come together as one despite where they are in the world.
Mr. Suda had to stay afloat for over four hours because the water in his cafe was over eight feet deep.
For more information on Lovelace and “Sakura, Home of my Heart,” visit okarulovelace.com.