FY2017

January 28, 2018
Iino Hall, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

【Facilitator-Readers】	Motoyo Yamane (announcer) Masako Shindo (announcer)
【Guest Reader】	Akira Sakata (Jazz Saxophonist)
【Music】	Toshiaki Iida (composer and arranger) Ryoko Takita (piano) Chiharu Miki (cello) Akiko Shibata (whistle)

The theme for this event was "Family, Hometown, and Freedom." Motoyo Yamane recited the words to "Akatombo" (a children's song) and read Yodaka no Hoshi (by Kenji Miyazawa), while Masako Shindo read Pictures (by Mitsuyo Kakuta). Akira Sakata, one of Japan's leading jazz saxophonists, was also invited as a guest. He read from an essay he authored entitled "Furo ha Arigatai." Though it was his first time performing a public reading, his simple and profound voice, combined with his quiet yet powerful improvisation on saxophone alongside Motoyo Yamane's reading of "Akatombo," resonated deeply with the audience.

December 2, 2017
Elgala Hall, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka

【Facilitator】	Jun Noguchi (narrator)
【Readers】	Motoyo Yamane (announcer) Masako Shindo (announcer)
【Music】	pepe Ito (guitarist and singer)

The Fukuoka event featured a wide variety of artists, including Motoyo Yamane, Masako Shindo, picture book author Koutaku Yoshinaga, and others, and it attracted many visitors from the local community. For the first time, a live painting workshop was held as a pre-event. Many local children enjoyed participating in the event. During the reading, the children were very excited about Yoshinaga's work, Kyushoku Bancho. The music was performed by guitarist pepe Ito. The unique musical reading of the picture book Zo no Buttons (by Noriko Ueno), which had no words, was performed with narrator Jun Noguchi and brought many laughs to the reading session.