Fri May 18, 2012
Photo Courtesy of Reverend TK Nakagaki
Japanese Floating Laterns of Peace on the Hudson River in New York City
Floating Concepts of Peace to Music
By Russell Daisey, New York – September 2010
A 77 year old Yamaha upright piano from Hiroshima, Japan was what brought over 1500 New Yorkers to the edge of the Hudson River in the early evening hours of September 11, 2010 to participate in the Ninth Annual 9/11 Japanese Floating Lanterns Ceremony. You might ask why a piano would attract such an audience. The answer is that this particular piano – called the Hibaku Piano in Japanese – is a miraculous survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
Hard to believe that with over 80,000 lives instantly lost, winds over 500 mph and heat of up to 3800 degrees C that this instrument, which was in a private home 1.8 kilometers from the epicenter of the bombing, survived to be played again decades later. Yet 10 years ago it was restored to its former glory by Hiroshima based piano tuner Mitsunori Yagawa who purchased it and the piano now serves as a symbol of peace and a bridge between the Japanese and American people.
Honored to participate in this year’s event, I played “Towers of Light,” which I co-wrote with noted media psychologist, TV and radio personality and host of the evening Dr. Judy Kuriansky. I couldn’t help but think about the original owner of the Hibaku Piano over 65 years ago in Hiroshima. As Tomoko Shibata’s voice floated in the night air with the backdrop of the emerging twin light beams I wondered how he or she might feel about their upright piano traveling around the world on an airplane, being photographed and video taped thousands of times, being played by internationally famous musicians from around the world and being the focus of newspaper, internet and television reports.
The Hibaku Piano, which still has clearly visible shrapnel marks made me think about how we all are survivors; the Hibaku Piano from atomic bombing as well as New Yorkers and all Americans from the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001.
While the Hibaku Piano has been played in concerts throughout Japan for the last five years it made its first journey outside of Japan during the week of 9/11/2010 for a series of concerts given by Japanese and American musicians. This year’s concerts during the 9/11 memorial week were held at The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, The New York Buddhist Church, The Greenwich Japanese School and at the Tillman Chapel at the Church Center for the United Nations.
But the highlight of all of the events was the 9th Annual 9/11 Japanese Floating Lanterns Ceremony held on the Hudson River’s edge at West Houston Street where 9/11 families, friends and other New Yorkers gathered for the ceremony. Created and produced yearly by Reverend TK Nakagaki who founded this annual event in 2002, Japanese floating lanterns become the messengers of individual inscriptions of peace, hope and remembrance of 9/11 victims and are written on rice paper that covers each lantern.
Floating lanterns ceremonies are an age old part of Asian culture seen in China, Thailand and Japan. Japanese Buddhists believe that the souls of their ancestors visit them yearly. They put out lanterns with personal inscriptions for their deceased ancestors to help guide their way home. When the visit ends the lanterns are set adrift on water to light their path back to heaven. Floating lanterns ceremonies are held yearly in Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9 to commemorate the souls of hundreds of thousands of Japanese who were killed in the bombings of their respective cities.
This year’s ceremony began with interdenominational prayers and meditations delivered by clergy from Sikh, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Christian and Interfaith traditions. This was followed by a peace concert featuring the Hibaku Piano in performance with Japanese rock star, Shinji Harada, Japanese operatic soprano Tomoko Shibata, singer-composer Dana Hanchard, myself and many others. Classical music, rock songs, 9/11 songs as well as poetry and song inspired by the Hibaku Piano were all performed as the sky faded toward dusk.
The life story of this simple piano resonates with all of us and our will to live through the best and the worst of times. The vibrations of the Hibaku Piano continue to spread messages of peace and harmony with musicians and audiences around the world.
Daisey and his co-lyricist and co-founder of the Stand Up For Peace Project, Dr. Judy Kuriansky (www.towersoflightsong.com) were honored to perform at the First Hiroshima International Peace Summit for the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams in November 2006. They are known for their songs “Towers of Light”, “Stand Up For Peace”, “Appreciation”, the Rumi inspired “Alchemy of Love” and their Haitian anthem “Rebati…Like Reeds In The Wind” which was performed in Port Au Prince, Haiti in July, 2010. Russell has performed for world leaders including President Bill Clinton, President HW Bush, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He performed at Gracie Mansion for former NYC Mayors Rudolph Giuliani and David Dinkins. New York concerts include Town Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and Carnegie ‘Weill’ Recital Hall.
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