Instrument seller works to make disaster-hit town in Miyagi a music hub

Sound House, Japan's largest musical and audio equipment retailer, is collaborating with Onagawa, a coastal town in Miyagi Prefecture that was devastated by the 2011 tsunami, to transform the area into a music hub. The company, based in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, established a logistics center and a showroom in Seapal-Pier Onagawa, a shopping street adjacent to Onagawa Station. The initiative also includes providing free music lessons to local children.

The partnership began when Daishi Shoji, 53, the head of Onagawa branch of the 77 Bank, visited Sound House's headquarters in Narita in December 2020, without prior arrangement. The purpose was to encourage music-related businesses to establish themselves in the town. Shoji, who possesses extensive experience in the music industry, has been instrumental in driving this project forward.

Sound House's efforts have not only provided the community with access to musical equipment but have also offered a platform for musical education. The free music lessons have sparked a renewed interest in music among the town's youth, who were deeply affected by the tsunami. This initiative signifies Sound House's commitment to not only being a major retailer but also a contributor to the cultural revival of the affected regions in Japan.