Recitation and Text, with Piano

"kizunaworld.org" was launched by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tomoyasu Hirano. Under the concept of "doing everything possible with individual effort," the project widely collects and offers works from artists who support it, both domestically and internationally, to solicit donations. The initiative has been ongoing for over a year and continues to provide sustained support while connecting individual sentiments into its second year and beyond.


The 23rd work features Jane Birkin, a renowned actress and an active supporter of various social issues in recent years. This collaborative piece combines her voice and text with piano performance by Nobuyuki Nakajima, who is active in diverse fields.


Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake in April 2011, Jane Birkin visited Japan alone and held a charity concert. The conversation she had with a young girl she met while visiting the disaster-stricken people forms the basis for the voice and text in this work. The title, "une petite fille," means "a little girl."


The work was completed through an exchange, akin to correspondence, between Birkin in Paris and Nakajima in Tokyo. The visuals feature the voice with subtitles in French, Japanese, and English, accompanied by piano music that fills the spaces between the text. It serves as a requiem for those lost in the earthquake, while also offering solace to the survivors and building a bridge towards hope.



Nakajima commented, "I am deeply grateful to Junichi Onuma for translating Jane's French text into Japanese, to Miwako Sakamoto for the English translation, and to film director Yusuke Kaida for the text composition." This work truly embodies the original spirit of "kizunaworld.org," where various artists collaborate.


The system allows for donations of any amount from ¥1,000 to ¥20,000, processed via PayPal for download. The entire amount collected (excluding payment processing fees) is equally distributed among five representative organizations in the fields of "medical care," "children," "food," "housing," and "energy" as "support needed now" in the disaster-stricken areas, with donations made quarterly.


Beneficiaries

"Doctors Without Borders (MSF Japan)" | Medical activities focused on mental healthcare and procurement of pharmaceuticals in Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture.

"Children's Music Revival Fund" | Restoration and provision of musical instruments, and support for music activities in educational institutions.

"Sunrise Genkimura Project" | Support for delivering rice to the elderly living in temporary housing.

"Voluntary Architects Network Shigeru Ban / Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami Support Project" | Support through the installation of simple partition systems for evacuation shelters.

"Institute for Energy Economics and Policy, Connection & Warmth Project" | Support for disaster-stricken areas through solar, solar thermal, and biomass energy.