This series showcases Toyota's activities in non-automotive fields. This time, we get orchestral.
Our setting for this article is Ainan, a town on the southernmost tip of Ehime Prefecture renowned as a mecca for scuba divers.
Ainan’s rich natural scenery is stunning. The other side of that coin, however, is the location’s inaccessibility, with no highway or railroad connections. We visited to cover an event that had returned to the town for the first time in 13 years.
Toyota organized a concert for children, drawing a crowd of young attendees. And as it turns out, such activities have been continuing for more than four decades.
Why hold a concert in a town of so few people?
Toyota Community Concerts (TCC) kicked off in 1981.
Given the initiative’s marathon-like endurance, we figured that 40 years would mean something like 100 concerts. As we found out, however, the actual number is an astounding 1,864 performances held all around Japan.
Toyota works with its dealerships nationwide to support local amateur orchestras. But why hold a concert in a town with a small and dwindling population?
Tomie Sakata, Corporate Citizenship Div.
TCC began after we encountered the Federation of Japan Amateur Orchestras Corp. With assistance from our nationwide dealerships, we strive to contribute to communities through music, supporting local amateur orchestras to provide concerts for the people who sustain us day-to-day.
Professional orchestra performances only take place in big cities, and we want to create opportunities for children to hear live music. Though it is difficult to eliminate the cultural disparities between regions, we continue to chip away.
Here’s a question for our readers: do you know how many people make up an orchestra?
A standard lineup has upward of 50 members, while professional outfits can exceed 100 musicians. Factoring in costs such as transportation and the shipping of instruments, bringing an orchestra to town takes a lot of money...
Hence, orchestra performances tend to be concentrated in larger cities. And that’s precisely why Toyota organizes events in areas that are not on the radar for professional tours.
More than just a regular classical concert
When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in 2011, Toyota put a call out to amateur orchestras around the country, many of which rushed to the Tohoku region with instruments in hand.
Sakata, Corporate Citizenship Div.
I will never forget one particular performance at an orphanage. Because of their family situations, many of the children had never been to a concert before. The moment My Neighbor Totoro started playing, they listened without so much as a stir, completely absorbed.
Then in November 2016, five years after the disaster, we held a concert in Fukushima. A banner was presented, filled with messages of support from amateur orchestras all over Japan in the form of a Sakura or cherry blossom tree. It demonstrated how we are united in spirit through music.
We hope that our efforts continue bringing joy to communities.
The project delivers happiness, touching the hearts of audiences. To be sure, the individual events are by no means large.
And yet, the enthusiasm of those involved has resonated with children throughout Japan. Attended by a total of 1.43 million people to date, TCC events have made a significant impact.
On the day we visited, the show was put on by the Ehime Symphony Orchestra, which has a 50-year history. Compared to regular performances, this concert had some distinct differences.
Typically, classical concerts do not admit preschool-aged children. That made this event a special opportunity to reach a wider audience, to the delight of moms and dads who otherwise would also be unable to attend.
The orchestra played only pieces that are well-known to children, such as Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld, a familiar tune at school sports festivals. In between, there was lots of audience interaction, with quizzes and explanations of instruments.
The hall was filled with smiles from start to finish. However, amateur orchestras tend to face many hardships as well... We delve into the details in the next section.
As a final treat, we’ll also share some of the world’s finest musicianship. Make sure to read and listen to the end.