[Pal System Association] Accepting the Atomic Bombing and 80 Years Since the End of the War Together with Children: Atomic Bomb Piano Performance and Film Screening in Tsuchiura City [Ibaraki, Tochigi]
Pal System Association Press Release: October 17, 2025 80 years since the atomic bombing and the end of the war, commemorated with children: Atomic bomb piano performance and film screening in Tsuchiura City [Ibaraki, Tochigi] Resounding sounds and singing voices expressing a wish for peace Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi Consumers’ Cooperative (Headquarters: Umeka, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture; Chairperson: Yasuyo Aoki) held a concert of the atomic bomb-hit piano and a screening of the film “Mother’s Atomic Bomb Piano” at Craft Civic Hall Tsuchiura (Higashi Manabe-cho, Tsuchiura City) on Monday, October 13th (national holiday). On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing and the end of the war, 423 people gathered at the venue to listen to the sounds of the atomic bomb piano and the voices of children singing in prayer for peace. Caring for others and doing what we can for peace The piano that played at the concert was damaged in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Thirty-eight children from the Tsuchiura City Tsuchiura Second Elementary School Choir sang songs filled with prayers for peace accompanied by the damaged piano. This was the first time the children had sung to the sound of the damaged piano, and they performed seven songs, saying, “We sing in the hope of peace all over the world.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-8a764745195954d80f7f7c50925f1a46-3456×1896.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-64062bfa9a5b808abcc49d5ee7851317-3900×2208.jpg The group began their song with a lively performance of “Balloon Ride Anywhere.” The second song, “Blue Angel,” is a required piece for the elementary school division of the NHK National School Music
Competition. The competition has been held since before the war, and the singer recalled the possibility that atomic bomb survivors may have participated. The song expresses the feelings of an angel who spreads the wings of his heart and grows stronger and kinder. The next song, “Blue Sky,” was submitted to commemorate the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs in 1971, with the aim of conveying the reality of the atomic bombings and fostering the movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons. With the guidance of composer Susumu Onishi, the children incorporated their desire to “eliminate atomic bombs” into a song sung at peace rallies around the world. Wishing for peace in the sky seen by people all over the world, they then sang “Look Up at the Stars in the Night Sky.” Before the concert, the children learned about the reality of the atomic bombing through a picture-story show called “Hide-chan and the Atomic Bomb,” and shared their thoughts between songs. “After learning about the horror and terror of the atomic bomb, I thought about what I could do to contribute to peace. It is important to have a strong feeling that war must never be waged, and I want to resolve even small differences by listening to what the other person has to say,” she said. “I am happy to be able to eat delicious food every day and go to school and sing. I want to convey to those around me how those who were hit by the atomic bomb felt,” she said, continuing to play. Alongside the sounds of the atomic bomb-affected piano, they performed songs such as “Tree Diagram,” an inspiring song encouraging people to cherish their own lives; “Song of Life,” expressing gratitude to everyone around them; and “Be Happy,” wishing everyone happiness. They conveyed their determination to be considerate of others and think about what they can do for peace to the audience.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-59a472fdf916f7aa443086c54845430d-2632×1712.jpg ▲Children convey their commitment to peace to participants Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-93ef39b1372379139525e4336f803f09-3900×1647.jpg Produced over 10 years after listening to the voices of atomic bomb survivors The film “Mother’s Atomic Bomb Piano,” which was screened, is based on the work of piano tuner Mitsunori Yakawa. Director Toshihiro Goto spent 10 years listening to the voices of atomic bomb survivors and the owners of pianos that were affected by the atomic bomb. Since its release in 2020, the film has continued to be screened nationwide, and an English-subtitled version has been produced. It is a long-running film that won the Peace Prize at an American film festival. In 1998, Mr. Yakawa was entrusted by an atomic bomb survivor with the task of restoring and tuning a piano that had been damaged by the atomic bomb. This prompted him to begin touring the country in 2001 with concerts using the piano. He has personally loaded the piano into a 4-ton truck, sowing the seeds of peace across the country, hoping to inspire children and others to appreciate the importance of peace through the piano’s sound. Born in Hiroshima after the war as a second-generation atomic bomb survivor, Mr. Yakawa has given over 3,000 concerts in every prefecture to date. This year, marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing and the end of the war, the concert will exceed 300 concerts, up from the usual 150, and is scheduled to return to Hiroshima at the end of the year. The atomic bomb piano used in the concert was exposed to the atomic bomb in a private home about 3km from the hypocenter. Damaged by the blast, heat, and radiation, Yakawa restored and tuned the piano. In 2010, it traveled to New York and was performed on September 11th, the day of the terrorist attacks. Yagawa said that some people had mixed feelings about performing in America, the country that dropped the atomic bomb, but that everyone shared the same desire for peace. In 2017, the year the international NGO International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the piano was held in Oslo, Norway. After introducing the atomic bomb-hibakusai piano, which plays a major role in spreading the message of peace around the world, Yagawa called on the attendees to “use today’s concert as an opportunity to think about the value of peace.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-f114f0833701ca64bd0a2fa578316e57-2156×1652.jpg ▲Yagawa introduces his activities and the atomic bomb piano. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-9f234fcb68baf8b4bf07e1795f2a8867-1860×1364.jpg Finally, Masataka Komano, who accompanied the choir, performed a solo of peace-themed songs, including “Sheep Grazing Peacefully” and “Light in the Distance,” and concluded the event with the sound of the atomic bomb-affected piano.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-a31490fdef318071f407205776592fc8-1816×1336.jpg ▲Mr. Komano playing the atomic bomb piano Considering our role in the International Year of Cooperatives, 80 years after the end of the war As a consumer cooperative, Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi has been engaged in peace-related activities that support fulfilling lives. As part of its peace activities, the Atomic Bomb Piano Concert will be held again in 2023. A corner was set up within the venue to collect messages of peace from participants, and 87 messages of peace were collected, including “May calm and peaceful days continue.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-c73479c331f0926ccb5d76428c2619a7-3112×2144.jpg ▲A message of peace has been pasted onto an illustration of a tree.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-81f71c9c6ba8b05e421a85cea6d1e42c-2488×1688.jpg In 2025, the International Year of Cooperatives, we will continue to learn about the devastation caused by war together with our users and people of all generations, and consider what each of us can do to contribute to peace. Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi will continue to consider the importance of peace together with our users and pass it on to the next generation.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-67afb69ecbf944bd48b2f7ff3ebfc096-3900×2727.png Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi Consumers’ Cooperative Location: 2-1-39 Umeka, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Chairman: Yasuyo Aoki Capital investment: 7.09 billion yen, Number of members: 141,000, Total business turnover: 18.34 billion yen (as of the end of March 2025) Website: https://www.palsystem-ibaraki.coop/ Pal System Consumers’ Co-operative Union Location: 2-2-6 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo , Chairman: Shibusawa Atsuyuki 13 members / members using the unified business system: total business turnover of 260.42 billion yen / total number of members: 1.762 million (as of the end of March 2025) Member co-ops: Pal System Tokyo, Pal System Kanagawa, Pal System Chiba, Pal System Saitama, Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi, Pal System Yamanashi Nagano, Pal System Gunma, Pal System Fukushima, Pal System Shizuoka, Pal System Niigata Tokimeki, Pal System Kyosai Ren, Saitama Prefecture Workers’ Co-op, Ai Coop Miyagi Website: https://www.pal-system.co.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/6976/957/6976-957-f65732ef50b71b0583d516207f61ca7e-1104×351.jpg 2025 is the International Year of Cooperatives
