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Religious and spiritual leaders came together to offer prayers and chants at an interfaith ceremony for the people of Japan following the Great East Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11.  The Ceremony was held on Saturday April 9 at BMW Edge, Federation Square. The Acting Consul-General of Japan, Melbourne, Mr Yasufumi Kotake, spoke about the worst natural disaster in Japan’s history, the subsequent trouble of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the death toll over 12,000 with 18,000 people still missing, and the likelihood of the casualty list exceeding 30,000.

The end of March is the end of the school year in Japan, This is usually a happy time for students but due to the disaster some schools have been totally destroyed and many students have died or remain missing.

Mr Kotake spoke about one school in particular, Ookawa Primary School, where only thirty per cent of the students survived.

One student said that the tragedy had made him realise that human beings cannot survive on their own. He has seen people helping each other through the tragedy and this made him want to help others around him. Another student was humbled by the level of support his area had received from the international community and as a result he wants to dedicate his life to helping victims of natural disasters around the world. After seeing the work done by emergency service workers in the affected area, one student decided he wanted to do this kind of job in the future.

Prayers and chants from representatives of the Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Indigenous, Christian, Islamic, Baha’i, Brahma Kumaris and Sufi communities were offered, with a special prayer for the world’s Emergencies Workers offered by Reverend Stuart Stuart, of the Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry.

Musical interludes were performed by Anne Norman, Shakuhachi musician, who played Tamuke a traditional meditation for the people of Japan, accompanied by a Japanese prayer bell and Noriko Tadano, vocalist and Shamisen musician, who performed two songs.

Noriko sang a traditional folk song from the area most damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. In the lyric it says “ We will come back to see you again, so please take care of yourself till then.”  The second folk song came from the northern area where the Earthquake hit and where the Tsugaru Shamisen’s technique was developed. The music reminded us of the harsh winters of the region and of the people who live through the seasons with patience and strength.

The Ceremony closed with words of hope and faith, acknowledging the resilience of the Japanese people.

The Interfaith Centre of Melbourne and the Buddhist Council of Victoria organised the event with sponsorship from Federation Square and the Chan Meditation Centre.

Article By Reverend Helen Summers