"Toward the Future, Toward Tomorrow" - Miyagi Prefecture 3.11 Great Earthquake Memorial Event

On March 11th, Miyagi Prefecture, Kahoku Shimpo, and the Miyagi Prefectural Citizens' Hall Management and Operation Joint Venture held the "3.11 Great Earthquake Memorial Event 'Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future'" (Special Sponsor: Sendai Mitsukoshi, JR East Sendai Branch; Sponsor: NTT East Miyagi Branch, Sakan; Planning Cooperation: SMILE TOHOKU PROJECT) at Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi in Sendai City. Approximately 1,400 people attended.

At the outset, all attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims. Following this, Masahiko Ichiriki, President of Kahoku Shimpo, took the stage and stated, "Recovery is still only halfway complete. While we pray for the repose of those who passed away, I hope this event will also be a place to resolve to take a step forward toward the future. I want to share with everyone our gratitude for the support of so many people, and the strong feeling that the real challenge lies ahead – let's keep striving."

The memorial event unfolded in two parts: "Recitation" and "Music." The company had solicited poems from the public under the theme "Poems of Hope for the Future." From these submissions, one Grand Prize winner and four Excellence Prize winners were selected. Poet Ryoichi Wago, a Fukushima resident; voice actor Koichi Yamadera, originally from Shiogama City; and recitation artist Shoko Watanabe, originally from Tome City, each recited their respective works. Wago, who served as a judge and reviewed all entries, reflected, "It felt as if I could hear the raw voices of the people through their words." The grand prize winner was "My Brother" by Fumika Aihara from Natori City. This work, read by Yamadera, depicts hope for the future while focusing on the author's brother, a firefighter who participated in rescue and search efforts in the disaster area.

Part 2 began with a video introducing the SMILE TOHOKU PROJECT, a joint initiative by the Fukushima Minpo, Kahoku Shimpo, and Iwate Nippo newspapers. This was followed by performances by singers Mayu Okamoto and Ai Kawashima, who shared their thoughts on the disaster-affected areas while performing their songs.

For the finale, Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro Murai took the stage, emphasizing his determination: "The past three years were a period of recovery, but starting in April, we aim for creative reconstruction and will challenge ourselves with various initiatives and measures. If we all work together, Miyagi Prefecture will surely become even more wonderful and developed than before the disaster." The stage and audience joined together to sing "TOMORROW," bringing the event to a close.