Ashita wo Utaou, Nippon no Arashi "Furusato"

The White Team host, Arashi, will be acting as the presenters in delivering this Tohoku support project. "Furusato" was a song that was specially produced for last year's Kouhaku. People's "feelings towards their hometowns" have grown even stronger this year, and we hope to convey them through this song. The lyricist, Koyama Kundou, has added a second verse to the existing lyrics. Also, this "Furusato" will be used as the image song of the "62th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen".


A piano that had been damaged by the tsunami was used for many years in the gymnasium of a middle school in the Fukushima prefecture. That school just so happened to be holding its graduation ceremony on the day of the earthquake. After being waterlogged and covered in sand from the earthquake-triggered tsunami, the piano underwent careful repairs under the hands of a local piano merchant and has since had its sound miraculously restored. The piano has been borrowed for this show and will be played by Arashi's Sakurai Sho-san on stage. Through this restored piano - a symbol of revival - everyone across the nation, everyone singing in this Kouhaku, and of course the members of Arashi, will come together and sing "Furusato" in a heartfelt chorus. This is a special segment that will impart the undying radiance of our hometowns, as well as our belief in the future.

A piano brought back to life over the span of half a year.
Even now, countless scars remain upon it.
But its clear timbre still resonates.
I will be performing "Furusato", keeping the feelings of Endou-san, the piano tuner, as well as the children of Fukushima in mind as I do. - Sakurai Sho - 

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