Mar 12, 2021 (Japan Times) - By producing high-quality timepieces that have been closely linked with people’s lives, the Seiko Holdings Group has shared time with people, in sorrow and in joy, throughout its history.
Commemorating 10 years since the tragedy, Seiko will organize a special concert at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo on March 11 to bring together those affected by the disasters and those who have offered support for reconstruction, including pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii.
Looking back, when the disasters hit the Tohoku region in 2011, Seiko was about to mark its 130th year in business. The company canceled all scheduled events to celebrate the milestone anniversary. Instead, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, it conducted a series of activities called the Seiko 130 Actions, which included fundraising, sending relief goods, cleaning of the tsunami-damaged photos and helping with decontamination work, to facilitate the recovery. In three years, the number of support activities climbed to 138.
As part of the Seiko 130 Actions, the company supported two charity concerts led by the late jazz pianist Norio Maeda in August 2011 in Fukushima and Iwate prefectures to show solidarity with those affected by offering emotional support through music, rather than material assistance.
Seiko Holdings Group CEO and Chief Culture Officer Shinji Hattori, who attended both concerts, was moved by Maeda’s performances on the tsunami-hit piano that lost some of its tune. Hattori realized that it is the power of music that moves and unites people’s hearts, and became more determined to have the company further extend such activities to assist reconstruction.
To broaden the scope of its support, Seiko established an executive committee headed by Hattori to organize a string of events under the “Sound of ‘Wa’ Concert to Support Eastern Japan” in September 2013, resulting in six concerts in the affected areas in Tohoku region.
The Japanese word wa in the title has various meanings ranging from circles and harmony to things Japanese: a circle of support for reconstruction activities, a circle of hands joining those who suffered in the disasters with their supporters, a circle of hope for the future, a spirit of harmony that fosters the togetherness of those working for reconstruction and a spirit of vibrant Japan. The Wa concerts embrace such spirits and express a strong wish to develop bonds among people.
