FY2021

January 29, 2022
Ginza Oji Hall, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

【Facilitator-Readers】	Motoyo Yamane (announcer) Masako Shindo (announcer)
【Guest Reader】	Chikara Iwamura (conductor)
【Music】	Toshiaki Iida (composer, arranger, and piano) Chiharu Miki (cello) Akatsuki Takahashi (violin)

As it was held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme of the 12th event was "storytelling that connects minds," and shares the beauty and influence of words themselves, which is a method for connection that we should value during the pandemic. Motoyo Yamane read The bears of Mt.Nametoko by Kenji Miyazawa, and Masako Shindo read "Namae" from Mitsuyo Kakuta's short story collection, Presents. As a guest, we welcomed Mr. Chikara Iwamura, an active conductor. He read a selection from "Music Was There," a nonfiction work about musicians who faced a severe environment following the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was also the impetus for Enjoy the Power of Language. The musical performance included original compositions that vividly evoked scenes from the stories, as well as familiar music, lyrically enhancing the storytelling that connects our hearts.
Admission was limited to one-third of the venue's capacity, and for the first time, the event was live-streamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.