Apr. 24, 2012
TMC to Hold 33rd Toyota Lobby Concert
Three Artists to Deliver Inspiring Message to Tohoku Region
Toyota City, Japan, April 24, 2012―Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), as part of its social contribution activities, will hold its 33rd Toyota Lobby Concert on June 26 in the first-floor lobby of its Tokyo Head Office in Koraku, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The concert is part of the Kokoro Hakobu Project, an initiative to assist the recovery of the Tohoku region following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
The Japanese words "kokoro hakobu", written in the Japanese kana syllabary in the above logo, mean "to carry (or deliver) one's heart". The logo also shows a heart over northeastern Japan.
The concert will feature performances by three musical artists: emerging violinist Chika Edanami, singer-songwriter Ms. Ooja, and pop-opera singer Norimasa Fujisawa.
The theme of the concert will be "Waon"1, meaning chord in Japanese and thus suggesting harmony. With over a year having passed since the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, these three artists, who have supported the disaster-struck region in many ways through their music, will come together in the lobby of TMC's Tokyo Head Office to join with the audience in showing their desire to never forget those who suffered and to deliver an inspiring message to Tohoku.
The Toyota Lobby Concert, held since 1995, aims to provide people in nursing care facilities near the TMC Tokyo Head Office as well as nearby residents with an opportunity to enjoy a quality live musical performance. Volunteers from TMC, with the assistance of the local community, organize the concerts.
TMC will provide 400 complimentary tickets to residents of local nursing care facilities and the general public. Those wishing to receive tickets should follow the instructions in the table below to apply. Tickets will be sent to successful applicants by mail around June 14.
33rd Toyota Lobby Concert
| Date | June 26, 2012 |
| Time | 18:30 to 20:00 (venue opens at 17:45) |
| Venue | 1st Floor lobby, Toyota Motor Corporation Tokyo Head Office, 1-4-18 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo |
| Performers | Chika Edanami (violin), Ms. Ooja (singer-songwriter), Norimasa Fujisawa (pop-opera singer) |
| Organization | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Assistance | Tokyo Voluntary Action Center, Bunkyo Voluntary Action Center, NPO Echo |
| Planning and production support |
Transmission Co., Ltd. |
| Tickets | Number of tickets: 400 To apply online, fill out application at http://www.toyota.co.jp/lobby_concert/ (Japanese language only). To apply by mail, send postcard with name, address, age, telephone number, e-mail address and number of tickets desired (1 or 2) to: Toyota Motor Corporation Corporate Citizenship Div. (Toyota Lobby Concert) 1-4-18 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, 112-8701 Ticket applications close on June 7. Postcards must be postmarked this date or earlier. |
1Written in Japanese kanji (Chinese characters) as "和音" .
Artist Profiles
Chika Edanami
| Born in April 1983 and starting the violin when she was four, Chika Edanami won first place in the Student Music Concours of Japan, a national student music competition, in ninth grade. In 2003 she won the grand prix at the Concorso Internazionale di Violino Michelangelo Abbado, a prestigious international violin competition in Italy. After graduating from Toho Gakuen College, she went on to become a member of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Since 2008 she has performed as a solo violinist, releasing her debut album "After a Dream - French Violin Sonatas" in 2009. Edanami is an active promoter of classical music, and is one of the most promising young female violinists in the Japanese music world. |
Comment concerning the upcoming performance: "The first time I performed in the disaster area, I felt a new determination settle in my heart and into my violin."
Ms. Ooja
| Born in October 1982 and discovering the beauty of singing at 17, Ms. Ooja has held live performances for over a decade in and around Nagoya and her native Mie Prefecture. She quickly rose to stardom when she topped the list of weekly sales rankings with her major debut album "It's OK", released in February 2011. Her song "Be...", the theme song of the TBS Friday drama "Renai Neet - Wasureta Koi no Hajimekata", climbed to No. 1 on numerous charts in 2012. Fans continue to be attracted by the warmth and strength of her full-body singing style and the real-life messages she incorporates into her songs. |
Comment concerning the upcoming performance: "We live not alone but with support from all around us. I want to sing songs that will touch people's hearts."
Norimasa Fujisawa
| Born in March 1983 and a vocalist in a pop-opera style, Fujisawa debuted in 2008 with the album "Polovtsian Dances". He has gained popularity with songs such as "Songs of Hope: Symphony No. 9," based on Beethoven's 9th Symphony. He performed at the 2009 and 2010 Toyota Motor Sports Dream Drive Dream Live, an event combining racing cars and music held at Mega Web in Odaiba, Tokyo. In February 2012, Fujisawa released "Mirai no Bokura-e (To Our Future Selves)," the opening song of the TV anime series "The New Prince of Tennis". |
Comment concerning the upcoming performance: "I felt everyone's strength when I sang in the disaster area. I want to bring smiles to people's faces."
