Japanese, US bands come together to remember

Members of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Band performed the concert with members of the U.S. Army Japan Band, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Central Band in Sendai, Japan, Sept. 24.

The concert was held in remembrance of the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and in honor of Operation Tomodachi, a Japan-U.S. combined humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operation in mainland Japan following the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

In keeping with this memory, the concert was held in an area of Japan that suffered tremendous damage in the wake of the disaster and where the Japan Self-Defense Forces and Marines provided tremendous support.

Each band played separate pieces and then took the stage for a combined performance. During one of the performances, pictures and videos of the destruction of the earthquake and the combined humanitarian efforts of Japanese and American service members were displayed above the band.

“I heard several people in the audience, including those who were involved in Operation Tomodachi, were very moved by the concert,” said Sgt. 1st Class Yamamoto Tomohiro, concert director. 

In addition to honoring those who were lost during the natural disaster, the concert also brought the members of the four bands together for the first time.

“The Japan Self-Defense Force bands are very talented and always put together a good production,” said Cpl. Mardia Tompo, a clarinet player with the III MEF Band.

Playing with other services helps develop one’s skills as a musician because of the different styles and the way they perform, said Tompo.

“The sound with everyone combined is much more aggressive and powerful than compared to each band playing separately,” said Tomohiro. “It was a blessing to hear the difference in sound come together in one place. I would love to have another chance to perform together.”