Katsuya Yamori

The song “Shiawase Hakoberu Yoni” came into the world after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. Mr. Makoto Usui, who wrote the lyrics and music, was at that time and still is an elementary school teacher in Kobe City. According to Mr. Usui, the lyrics for this song “formed within his mind gradually” in about 2 weeks after the earthquake. The music also has been brought from “somewhere over the sky”. In only about 2 months after the earthquake, the song became well known to the local people and it was often sung in the disaster affected area.

This song, which reminded people of their sorrow and pain brought by the disaster, at the same time gave spiritual support to the people who tried to overcome those feeling step by step. Many events were held in which many people, mainly children sang a song together, and more people listened to them. The experience of joining such events gave the participants an important opportunity to share the message that Mr. Usui had put into this song.

Since then, this song has been sung not only in the disaster affected area of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but also in other disaster affected areas in Japan and abroad, such as 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake, and 2008 Great Sichuan Earthquake in China. This is a good example of “Relay of supports among Disaster affected Areas”¹ using a song as a vehicle. This also happened after 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster. The word “Kobe” in lyrics replaced with “hometown” or “Tohoku”, children in Kobe sang this song for the people in Tohoku, and students within the disaster affected area sang this song in order to encourage their fellow victims.

I, myself, had a chance to attend such an event. “Kataribe KOBE 1995”² , a group I belong to, invited the elementary school children from Noda Village in Iwate Prefecture to Kobe during the summer vacation, and had them spend some time　together with elementary school children in Kobe. This plan was realized based on the friendship made during our members’ visit to Noda Village on the volunteer bus³ of Nippon Volunteer Network Active in Disaster (NVNAD).

It was fortunate that we could have cooperation of Mr. Usui. The children from both schools of Kobe and Noda village had an opportunity to sing together “Shiawase Hakoberu Yoni” under Mr. Usui’s coaching. The children did some practice before they sang. All sat in a circle, and Kobe children passed the lyrics and music on Noda children. At that time, Mr. Usui told as follows:
“The line ‘And remember the precious lives as we pray’ has important and dignified meaning compared to the other parts. Please fold your hands and pray for the deceased in your mind. And sing these words thinking of the people who couldn’t survive.”
Actually, in Kobe, I have heard that some people had, and still have, uncomfortable feeling when listening to this line of lyrics. I think Mr. Usui made a special explanation to this line because he knew the existence of those people.

Bring Happiness to the World ⁴

1. We are strong in spirit to be
Against the Great Quake in victory
We’re thankful that we are here today
And remember the precious lives as we pray

We have rebuilt KOBE to be
As beautiful as in our memory
With hope for tomorrow in our hearts
We reach helping hands to you

(chorus)
♪　Let our song echo through our hearts
In harmony as sing our parts
We send our song from our town KOBE
To bring happiness to the world ♪

2. We are standing in unity
Against the Great Quake in victory
We’re thankful that we are here today
And remember the precious lives as we pray

We have rebuilt KOBE to be
As beautiful as in our memory
With hope for tomorrow in our hearts
Like a warm gentle spring light

♪　repeat

We send our song from our town KOBE
To bring happiness to the world