Plantings in Fukushima in 2013 took place in five locations as part of the Fukushima Geijutsu Keikaku (Fukushima Art Program) x Art Support Tohoku-Tokyo’s “‘Passing on Fukushima’ Project.” The Fukushima Geijutsu Keikaku x Art Support Tohoku-Tokyo is the Tokyo metropolitan government’s support services for the earthquake-hit area through art and culture. Three public bodies, namely, Fukushima Prefecture, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Cultrure Creation Project (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) co-organize and carry out art programs in cooperation with local organizations. They aim to provide, from the perspective of creation of local dynamism and mental health care through art and culture, assistance for restoration and reconstruction by creating opportunities to experience art and culture and facilitating interaction among local communities.
The project first started at the Fukushima Geijutsu Keikaku x Art Support Tohoku-Tokyo’s Kick-off Forum on 30 June 2012. In cooperation with the Fukushima prefectural government, Fukushima Museum and Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art, foster parent recruitment campaigns for the “seedlings of the bombed kaki tree” also began. On 25 December 2012, a talk event on the Kaki Tree Project was held in the community center in Motomiya City.
On the planting day, 8 of March, after the school principal made a speech, Dr. Ebinuma talked about the kaki tree. Then, Miyajima conducted the workshop. Students cut their figures out from the photos that they prepared and attached a stick to the photo. There they made the fairies.
15 students representing the school moved to the Smile Kids Park bringing all students’ fairies. Locals were waiting for them there while preparing for rice-cake making. The Park is an indoor playground built for small children who cannot play outside due to the effects of radiation.
At the tree planting ceremony, the student representatives put soil over tree roots after hearing talks given by Dr. Ebinuma and the principal.
After planting, they made rice cake and enjoyed eating ‘mochi’ together.
“A message to oneself ten years later” by students will be put inside a time capsule and buried in the Smile Kids Park ground.
