Tomorrow (20 March), on the occasion of the first anniversary of the devastating tsunami in north-eastern Japan, Minister of State Cornelia Pieper will welcome a group of 13-14 year olds from the Ogatsu Junior High School to the atrium of the Federal Foreign Office for a percussion concert. With the concert the children want to express their thanks for donations from Germany to schools in the areas affected by the catastrophe.

In 2011, the tsunami destroyed all the school’s instruments. In this extreme situation, the school children made themselves drums from car tires pulled from the ruins. They wrapped these tires in clear vinyl tape and use rolling pins instead of drumsticks. They call their drums “fukko wadaiko” or “drums for rebuilding”.