# Keys of Change in Japan: Journey with Hope



## Alexandra (Aug 27, 2011)

Music can give hope and encouragement in times of the greatest grief, sorrow and despair. Panos Karan is taking Keys of Change to Northeast Japan to perform for people still living in the emergency shelters and relief workers who strive to rebuild Japan after the March 2011 earthquake and devastating tsunami. 
http://www.keysofchange.org/Main/Japan/Japan.html
http://www.keysofchange.org/Main/Japan/Entries/2011/8/25_fukushima_prefecture.html







Ο Πάνος παίζει ένα παραδοσιακό γιαπωνέζικο τραγούδι που έμαθε πριν από λίγη ώρα, σε ένα από τα καταλύματα των σεισμοπαθών στο Haramachi. Αξίζει να δει κανείς τις φωτογραφίες και το βίντεο.


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## drsiebenmal (Aug 27, 2011)

Έχει τεράστια δύναμη στα χέρια του με τη μουσική του. Πάντα άξιος!


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## Elsa (Aug 27, 2011)

Μπράβο στον Πάνο!


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## oliver_twisted (Aug 27, 2011)

drsiebenmal said:


> Έχει τεράστια δύναμη στα χέρια του με τη μουσική του. Πάντα άξιος!



Συμφωνώ απόλυτα. Τι μαγικό να μπορείς να αγγίζεις τη ζωή των ανθρώπων, να μιλάς στην ψυχή τους και να τους αλαφρώνεις, έστω για λίγο, στην ανηφόρα που τραβάνε! Και τι όμορφο τραγούδι! Αυτή η γιαγιά στη μέση το ζούσε τόσο, πολύ με συγκίνησε. Είναι πολύ χαρισματικός ο Πάνος, αλλά παίρνει και πολλά από αυτές τις εμπειρίες. Πράγματα που με τίποτε δεν θα βίωνε στις αίθουσες. (Απ' την άλλη το να αφήσεις τη βολή σου και να τρέχεις με δύσκολες συνθήκες στην άλλη άκρη του κόσμου μόνο για τον πλούτο της ψυχής σου και όχι της τσέπης σου είναι πολύ, μα πολύ σπάνιο). Τον ζηλεύω. Πολλά μπράβο!!


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## daeman (Aug 27, 2011)

Σ' ευχαριστώ, Πάνο, που πλημμύρισες τη μέρα μου με τους ανθούς της κερασιάς!






Αυτό που με ενθουσιάζει κάθε φορά που ακούω και βλέπω τον Πάνο -εκτός από τους πρόσχαρους τρόπους, την ειλικρίνεια στα μάτια και τη δεξιοτεχνία του- είναι ο τρόπος της ερμηνείας του. Έχει μια άνεση να επωμίζεται τις απαιτήσεις κάθε μουσικού κομματιού που επιλέγει, να τις αφομοιώνει τόσο διακριτικά και να τις αφήνει να φαίνονται μόνο όσο χρειάζεται - σαν οινοποιός που καλεί ένα βράδυ τους φίλους του να δοκιμάσουν το καινούργιο του κρασί, για την απόλαυση να μοιραστεί τον καρπό του κόπου του με δικούς του ανθρώπους, χωρίς να αναλώνεται σε άσκοπες επιδείξεις και περιγραφές των δυσκολιών που αντιμετώπισε, χωρίς τις φανφάρες που συνοδεύουν συνήθως τις οινογνωστικές παρουσιάσεις - που ως ακροατής _νιώθω_ ότι το κάθε κομμάτι που παίζει, είτε το έχω ξανακούσει είτε όχι, είναι ένας παλιόφιλος που με συγκίνηση ξαναβλέπω μετά από χρόνια απουσίας ή ένας άγνωστος αλλά πολύ ενδιαφέρων άνθρωπος που είμαι βέβαιος ότι μετά χαράς θα κάνω φίλο μου. 

_Πανάξιος_ μουσικός, με τη στόφα του αυθεντικού ερμηνευτή, δεν διαφέρει πολύ από τον ιδανικό μεταφραστή, τον άριστο ενδιάμεσο μεταξύ συγγραφέα και αναγνώστη, που φροντίζει να κάνει όσο γίνεται πιο αβίαστη την εμπειρία της ανάγνωσης του ερμηνεύματος προσέχοντας όμως πάντα να μην προδώσει το πρωτότυπο και τις προθέσεις του αρχικού δημιουργού.


Για το κομμάτι στο βίντεο, από τη Γουίκη:
"Sakura Sakura" (桜桜 さくら さくら?), also known as "Sakura", is a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of cherry blossom. Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate from ancient times, not from the Heian period or prior. It was an urban popular melody of the Edo period which was adopted as a piece for beginning koto students in the Tokyo Academy of Music _Collection of Japanese Koto Music_ issued 1888 (in English) by the Department of Education. The song has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan.​Στίχοι:


Standard | Hiragana | Romaji | Eng. Translation
桜　桜 | さくら　さくら | sakura sakura | Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
野山も里も | のやま　も　さと　も | noyama mo sato mo | On Meadow-hills and mountains
見渡す限り | みわたす　かぎり | mi-watasu kagiri | As far as you can see.
霞か雲か | かすみ　か　くも　か | kasumi ka kumo ka | Is it a mist, or clouds?
朝日に匂う | あさひ　に　におう | asahi ni niou | Fragrant in the morning sun.
桜　桜 | さくら　さくら | sakura sakura | Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
花ざかり | はな　ざかり | hanazakari | Flowers in full bloom.
桜　桜 | さくら　さくら | sakura sakura | Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
弥生の空は | やよい　の　そら　は | yayoi no sorawa | Across the Spring sky,
見渡す限り | みわたす　かぎり | mi-watasu kagiri | As far as you can see.
霞か雲か | かすみ　か　くも　か | kasumi ka kumo ka | Is it a mist, or clouds?
匂いぞ　出づる | におい　ぞ　いずる | nioi zo izuru | Fragrant in the air.
いざや　いざや | いざや　いざや | izaya izaya | Come now, come now,
見に行かん | みに　ゆかん | mini yukan | Let’s look, at last!


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## Alexandra (Aug 27, 2011)

Του έστειλα το λινκ με τα συγκινητικά σας λόγια.


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## Alexandra (Aug 30, 2011)

*School in Soma*

http://www.keysofchange.org/Main/Japan/Entradas/2011/8/29_School_in_soma.html






Today we went back to south along the coast, back to Fukushima prefecture, to a town called Soma. Huge areas of the town, as far as 4km inland, have been flooded during the tsunami. 

School year has started here last week, and Panos was invited to play a recital for the local pupils. They all came (around 300 of them), very organised - brought their chairs and put them very orderly in rows. It’s incredible how children can be so quiet during the performance! They listened with such an intensity, which made Panos feel he was performing in a big concert hall, for a very musically demanding and appreciative audience. 

The president of the students’ union then gave a very moving speech, about all the challenges the children had to go through - the earthquake, tsunami, and then radiation, and how they are grateful that they are not forgotten, and they can enjoy this music.


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## Alexandra (Sep 2, 2011)

The last two days have been a lot of driving and a lot of playing the piano. Yesterday we went to a town that doesn't exist anymore, as it all has been washed away with tsunami. Instead of the place which had houses, small shops, playgrounds there is nothing, just a multi-coloured blanket of rubble. We've visited former residents of this town, now staying in a temporary housing a few kilometres away. Panos played a recital, which, as it has become a tradition here, lasted longer that initially planned, as the audience wanted to hear more music. The second recital for the day was in another temporary housing, a relatively long drive away from the first one. It even had an upright piano there, which has not really been played on since March earthquake. Panos couldn't let the instrument just stand there without a purpose any longer! 

Today - another long drive back to Fukushima. The place was called Kesenuma, and recital in temporary housing was organised by the local baptist church. The priest has done fantastic job in bringing more people to the recital, as he walked through the area with loudspeaker announcing the start of the concert. A lot of people came, and most of them stayed later to say how much they enjoyed the music and how important it is to them that they are not forgotten. 

The drive from the temporary housing was not very easy, as taifun is approaching with lots of rain and strong wind. We gave back our minivan that has helped us to move around so much in the last 10 days, and tomorrow (which is Panos' birthday by the way!) we are getting on a bullet train which will take us back to Tokyo! 

And here is a message from Panos to those who have been following his remarkable journey: 

"I just wanted to say "Konichiwa" from Japan and thank you for your support. I can't wait to share the story with you. This has been the most amazing, fulfilling and complete experience I ever had as a musician." 

Last day in fukushima

01/09/2011





Photographer: Tariq Zaid



​​


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## nickel (Sep 2, 2011)

Χρόνια πολλά, Πάνο. Να 'χεις πάντα δύναμη και αγάπη, στα δάχτυλά σου, στην καρδιά σου.


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## Alexandra (Sep 7, 2011)

Ένα συγκινητικό βίντεο.


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## Elsa (Sep 8, 2011)

Ευχαριστούμε, Αλεξάνδρα!


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## Alexandra (Sep 13, 2011)

Μου είπαν ότι στο δελτίο του BBC World News στις 3 ώρα Ελλάδος, θα έχουν ρεπορτάζ για το ταξίδι του Πάνου στην Ιαπωνία.


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## Alexandra (Sep 13, 2011)

Μια και δεν διαθέτω Nova ώστε να έχω το BBC World News, έχω μόνο βίντεο μέσω της κάμερας του κινητού από την οθόνη του κομπιούτερ. Ιδού:

[video]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150309987713011[/video]


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## nickel (Sep 13, 2011)

Βγάλε τα permissions μήπως το δούμε και οι υπόλοιποι που ξεγραφτήκαμε από το παζάρι.


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## Alexandra (Sep 13, 2011)

Το βίντεο είναι public, αλλά φαίνεται ότι public σημαίνει "για τα μέλη του FB". Το ανεβάζω στο Vimeo και θα το δεις σε λίγο.


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## Alexandra (Sep 14, 2011)

Το βίντεο σε καλή ποιότητα και σε δημόσιο χώρο:


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## Zazula (Sep 18, 2011)

Εκπληκτικό, Αλεξάνδρα, και θερμά συγχαρητήρια στον Πάνο!

ΥΓ Για τις φωτό ο σύνδεσμος που βρήκα είναι: http://www.facebook.com/panoskaran#!/media/set/?set=a.10150365238282392.405184.103300487391. Όλα τα βίντεο εδώ: http://el-gr.facebook.com/video/?id=103300487391.


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## Alexandra (Sep 22, 2011)

Και το φωτογραφικό οδοιπορικό του φωτογράφου Tariq Zaid για το ίδιο θέμα:


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## nickel (Sep 22, 2011)

Καλημέρα. Αν και είμαι βέβαιος ότι ο Πάνος νιώθει ήδη πολύ «πλούσιος», του εύχομαι, όταν θα είναι ο μεγάλος πιανίστας των μεγάλων αιθουσών, να παραμείνει και ο μεγάλος πιανίστας των μικρών στιγμών — στιγμών σαν κι αυτές που αποτυπώθηκαν πανέμορφα στο σύντομο οδοιπορικό.


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## Alexandra (Dec 14, 2011)

*A Prayer for Tohoku*

Εκδόθηκε το βιβλίο της Ιαπωνίας.






Following the devastating impact of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, pianist Panos Karan performed for communities in Northeast Japan. 
Karan began his visit to Tohoku on 25 August 2011 playing 11 recitals in 8 days for people still living in emergency shelters, schools and temporary housing in the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyage. 
Tariq Zaidi, travel photographer, documented this amazing and emotional journey through the images in this book.


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## nickel (Dec 14, 2011)

Καλημέρα. Το ξεφύλλισα όλο στο Preview του ιστότοπου και είναι εντυπωσιακό ντοκουμέντο. Πάντως, οι φωτογραφίες της καταστροφής δύσκολα ξεπερνιούνται. Άντε φαντάσου για την πραγματικότητα.

Και ο Πάνος είναι, βέβαια, goodwill ambassador in the making.


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## Alexandra (Dec 14, 2011)

Τον Μάρτιο του 2012 θα δώσει δύο ρεσιτάλ στην Ιαπωνία ως προσκεκλημένος του JEN (Japan Emergency NGOs): Ένα fundraiser στο Τόκιο και ένα στις πληγείσες περιοχές.


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## Alexandra (Mar 6, 2012)

Πλησιάζει η πρώτη επέτειος του σεισμού και του τσουνάμι στην Ιαπωνία. Ένα πολύ συγκινητικό βίντεο από τους ανθρώπους της περιοχής Tohoku προς όλους εκείνους που βοήθησαν και συνεχίζουν να βοηθούν.


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## Alexandra (Mar 12, 2012)

*A journey of hope in Japan (part ii)*







Keys of Change today announced that founder Panos Karan will return to Japan to perform for communities affected by the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. 

Karan’s first piano recital will take place on 16 Tokyo’s Oji Hall, which will be a fundraising evening for the non-governmental organisation JEN  and their relief effort in Tohoku. Karan will then continue to Fukushima, an area heavily affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, for a collaboration with the Horai Junior High School orchestra, thus giving the unique experience to young students of performing music together with an international pianist. Karan will then continue with eight performances in Minami-soma in Fukushima Prefecture (organised by Amina Sugimoto of the Department of Global Health Policy of the University of Tokyo), and 10 performances in Ishinomaki and Kesennuma in Miyage Prefecture (organised by the non-governmental organisation JEN). Performances will take place in temporary housing around the region, as well as hospitals and schools. Photographer Eloise Campbell will be part of the team for this project. 

“The tragedy in Japan touched me deeply,” says Karan. “In 2011 I came to Tohoku to let people affected by this extraordinary disaster know that they are not forgotten, and performed 11 recitals in shelters and temporary housing. I left a part of me in Tohoku and that trip changed me as a pianist and a person. Japan, Tohoku and its people have taught me a sense of dignity and benevolence that has touched me beyond words. This was the most fulfilling thing I ever did as a musician. I feel an everlasting respect to the stoicism and strength of the Japanese people. I am thrilled and honoured to have a chance to return.”


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## Alexandra (Mar 19, 2012)

...BACK TO JAPAN

17/3/2012

Keys of Change are back to Japan! Panos flew to Tokyo few days ago to continue the Journey of Hope in Japan. It’s been a year since the disastrous earthquake and tsunami, and, despite of the heroic efforts of Japanese people to rebuild their lives, many of still live in temporary housing, displaced by tsunami and a threat of radiation.Hopefully music can brighten their day. 

Yesterday, as a warm-up, Panos played a recital in Oji Hall in Tokyo, organised by the NGO JEN, which provides relief effort in Miyagi Prefecture. The concert went really well, with tickets completely sold out! Normally the next day would be a day off, but today Panos drove 300km north to Fukushima, to make it on time for the rehearsal with a student orchestra from the Horai Junior Highschool he visited last year! Tomorrow they will play together Rachmaninov 2nd piano concerto in the beautiful Fukushima Ongakudo concert hall. 

From there onwards the schedule is hectic - Panos will play 17 concerts in 7 days, in schools, hospitals, elderly homes, temporary housing and even kindergarden, but it’s all so worthwhile!


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## Alexandra (Mar 19, 2012)

19/3/2012

It was a great concert yesterday with Horai Junior Highschool Orchestra in Fukushima Ongakudo concert hall! So many young talented musicians! 

Today we have a busy schedule. Panos already played three concerts, one more to go. It feels a little like a journey through life: we started in the kindergarden, with kids aged 3-6 years old. They loved Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and were listening very attentively. Then they asked questions: what is the capital of Greece and the language, what food we eat and what kids do. When they heard that in Greece it’s usually warm and sunny, and children spend a lot of time outdoors, they said that sadly they are not allowed to play outside because of radiation... They all sang for us, one song saying Thank you (Arigato) and another one saying that you must continue tomorrow and have hope. We had tears in our eyes. They gave us flowers and a girl of 4 read (!) a message!

Then we went to Isobe Middle School where many children died in the tsunami. The kids there were very quiet and shy, because the principal is very very strict. We drove around a little bit, and realised that there is almost nothing left from Isobe - the whole town has been wiped out by the tsunami.

Then we went to Soma Highschool. They liked the music very much and we gave them little souvenirs from the Keys of Change. The kids were delighted and then all 60 of them played music and sang for us - they had a brass band! 

It’s been really wonderful to share music with all these kids, and see how at any age they would listen with great interest, and share with us their own music, culture, worries, ideas and emotions. 

One more recital left for today: tonight Panos will play in the City Hall of Soma, for the general population - hopefully older people can come and listen too!


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## Alexandra (Mar 22, 2012)

Ένα βίντεο από την εκτέλεση του 2ου Κοντσέρτου Ραχμάνινοφ με μαθητική ορχήστρα παιδιών γυμνασίου στη Φουκουσίμα. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι εκπληκτικό:

[video=facebook;2555377262744]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2555377262744[/video]
Rachmaninov 2nd Piano Concerto with the Horai Junior Highschool Orchestra (12-14 years old) 
in Fukushima Concert Hall 18/03/12


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## SBE (Mar 22, 2012)

Το εκπληκτικό είναι ότι η Φουκουσίμα, πόλη με πληθυσμό περίπου σαν της Πάτρας, και πρωτεύουσα επαρχίας -διοικητικό κέντρο έχει τόσα πολλά παιδάκια που ασχολούνται σοβαρά με μουσική παράδοση τόσο ξένη προς τη δική τους


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## nickel (Mar 22, 2012)

SBE said:


> Το εκπληκτικό είναι ότι η Φουκουσίμα, πόλη με πληθυσμό περίπου σαν της Πάτρας, και πρωτεύουσα επαρχίας -διοικητικό κέντρο έχει τόσα πολλά παιδάκια που ασχολούνται σοβαρά με μουσική παράδοση τόσο ξένη προς τη δική τους


Δεν μπορείς να φανταστείς πόσο το ζήλεψα αυτό...


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## Alexandra (Mar 23, 2012)

Minamisoma Kindergarten. Minamisoma is the closest town to the nuclear station, right on the border of the 20km evacuation zone.
  

Photos by Eloise Campbell


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## Alexandra (Mar 27, 2012)

Upon returning from his trip, Panos wrote:

Only a few hours after my flight back to London, and the tears won't stop flowing. I have tasted the pain, I have touched it with my hands, I felt it with my heart, and now it lives inside me, it has pierced my heart and a part of it will never leave Tohoku. Every face has a story of survival, a story of life and death, of the tsunami, the sight of the destruction, the sounds, the sirens, the missing friends, it is all engraved in the faces. A face of an old fisherman that lost everything, a volunteer that helps others after losing her home and her father, a 10-year old child with the eyes of a grown man. The freezing black water sweeps away everything like a devil, as a student wrote, swallowing everything in its path, indiscriminate, destroying lives, creating wounds, stealing livelihoods. 

I wish I could choose one moment from this project and crown it, but there are so many. Playing with 100 middle school students a piano concerto, in a huge concert hall was a very special start. I had the chance to rehearse with them, more than six hours over two days. I could see how hard they were trying, how they were improving, how they were nervous, It was an inspiration to talk to them about the difference of rehearsing and performing, about the opportunity to speak their emotions through music, and to see them responding by discovering expression. I thanked the 13 year old oboe player in particular, who had learned her part by heart, and asked to take a photo with me -- I don't think I ever saw someone run so quickly to get their instrument, or smile so brightly. Then meeting the children in Soma and Minamisoma, the towns right next to the nuclear disaster, students that are not allowed to go out an play, "the children from Fukushima" who are excluded from the whole world, discriminated by others. They were keen to play music for us, with their brass bands, sing to us songs about the hope tomorrow. The kindergarten students gave us paper hand-made medals to thank us, the middle school children sang in a choir. Then the middle school children sent us a letter with the most vivid description of the tsunami -- the devil that covered everything in its pass. And there was also an elementary school, where the principal teaches the remaining seven students the importance of being strong, in order to be able to help and support others. Spending time in the exclusion zone of Fukushima, closed to the outside world for the next 30 years, felt like stepping on grave stones. Time stopped, the town became a shadow of a memory. Everything is unchanged, as if someone pressed "pause", everything left behind untouched, and everything is still there: the visitors book in the Buddhist monastery, with the last log entry on 11.3.2011. 

But it is not just the children. "Be strong Ishinomaki" is the message in a memorial in the middle of the devastated area, the space donated to the city by a woman that lost her shop. I will never forget the gentleman in the Minamisoma Hospital, the front line for measuring the effect of radiation on people, that asked his nurse to move his wheelchair closer, and tried to speak, to say something, but only tears came out, tried again, and more tears running from his eyes, wrinkles of pain scarring his face, in the end just whispering "Arigato". One more survivor. There was the lady who used to have a little toy with the music of the Nutcracker, for years in her home, everything gone in the tsunami, who started crying when she heard the music of Tchaikovsky played again. She has gone back to her destroyed home, repaired it, and became in charge of a community centre, handing out more than 300 meals at the height of the crisis. There was the concert in one of the temporary housings, when everyone in the audience was crying at the music of Sakura, desperately trying to hold back the sighs of grief in unison. Smiles and tears, without translation, without words, without language. And the local musical hope: a Yamaha piano damaged by the tsunami and repaired by the shop owner, that has become famous around the world as symbol of rebirth.

Everybody had their own unique, powerful, beautiful way of thanking us, of showing their gratitude. Yet I felt guilty accepting it, because the greatest reward was an audience ready to listen, open to receive from the music -- and I was rewarded generously. A part of me has stayed in Tohoku, aching with the wounds that are still fresh, and I have selfishly taken a part of Tohoku with me, the dignity, the generosity, the kindness, to share with the world and hope that the world will not forget.​


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## nickel (Mar 27, 2012)

Καλημέρα. Να πεις στον Πάνο ότι δεν υπάρχει άνθρωπος που να μην τον αγγίζει το κείμενό του. Τον ευχαριστούμε που το τόσο μακρινό το κάνει και δικό μας.


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## Eudokia (Mar 27, 2012)

SBE said:


> Το εκπληκτικό είναι ότι η Φουκουσίμα, πόλη με πληθυσμό περίπου σαν της Πάτρας, και πρωτεύουσα επαρχίας -διοικητικό κέντρο έχει τόσα πολλά παιδάκια που ασχολούνται σοβαρά με μουσική παράδοση τόσο ξένη προς τη δική τους



Εδώ, στην πατρίδα του Πυθαγόρα, ένας έφηβος θέλει να σπουδάσει σοβαρά μουσική και τον αποθαρρύνουν οι πάντες. Ποια Μουσική Ακαδημία! Εδώ και το Ωδείο Αθηνών (από όπου αποφοίτησαν εξαιρετικά ταλέντα) κινδυνεύει.
Χίλια μπράβο στον Πάνο για την πρωτοβουλία του!


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## Alexandra (Apr 22, 2012)

Η φωτογράφος της αποστολής Eloise Campbell ήταν εξαιρετική. Ολόκληρο το άλμπουμ εδώ:


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## Alexandra (Oct 16, 2012)

Keys of Change in Fukushima, October 2012


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## nickel (Oct 16, 2012)

Περιμένουμε και βιντεάκι, βέβαια.


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## Alexandra (Oct 17, 2012)

Βιντεάκι δεν υπάρχει ακόμα, προς το παρόν μερικές φωτογραφίες κι ένα μπλογκ ποστ.
http://www.keysofchange.org/Main/Japan/Entries/2012/10/17_back_to_japan.html


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## Alexandra (Nov 24, 2012)

Σήμερα, στην Καθημερινή, από τον Νίκο Βατόπουλο.


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## Alexandra (Jul 23, 2013)

Στις 2 Απριλίου του 2014, τα παιδιά από τη Φουκουσίμα θα παίξουν στο Queen Elizabeth Hall στο Λονδίνο. Εκδρομή κανείς;


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