In Okinawa, you can find a free music studio called “Ajisai Ongaku Mura“, made by bento store owner Nakasone Hikaru to encourage the lofty dreams of high school bands.

Nakasone created the studio in the basement of his bento store after he heard that there was no place for high school kids’ band to practice. He wanted to support the local kids who were chasing after a big dream, and so he decided to build it with money he borrowed from a loan. However, Nakasone had three conditions the kids had to accept in order to use the studio: 1) greet each other, 2) don’t fail exams, and 3) be a person who can feel others’ pain.

Because of this free music studio, many kids became professional artists, and debuted under major record labels. Unfortunately, the compassionate bento store owner passed away in 2009 due to cancer.

This story was broadcasted on NHK as a documentary, and after that, a biography titled “Boku tachi no Ongaku wa Bento-ya de Umareta YELL” was published.

Now, it will be released as a movie in 2011, starring Abe Hiroshi, Mimura, and Sakuraba Nanami. Abe said, “I think it’s amazing that young kids at ‘Ajisai Ongaku Mura’ still cherish the spirit to ‘care for others’ and be ‘well-mannered’ as Nakasone taught them, even after he passed away. I hope this spirit will spread to people who watch this movie.”


source: tokyohive