Connecting communities through the Tiger Dance
[Testimony] Mr. Hisakazu Iwama
Chairman, Kamaishi Tiger Dance Preservation Federation

Mr. Hisakazu Iwama, Chairman, Kamaishi Tiger Dance Preservation Federation

There are 13 Tiger Dance groups in Kamaishi City. Right after the disaster, I thought I had to be back to normal life first. Fortunately, we have a venue for the Tiger Dance in the city, therefore about 10 people were able to sleep there and we were able to cook with a propane gas in the venue. I am a member of a regional firefighter, so I had to go to get the relief supplies to the specific point for the survivors, but we dancers could receive the relief supplies in our venue because other Tiger Dance groups in the nation sent the relief supplies to our venue.
Since this area is full of elderly people, the regional firefighters and Tiger Dancers became the great asistant to help local people during the disaster. Now, there are no young people in this community, but I hope many young people from other areas will gather here through the Tiger Dance. And I also hope they will help and support the elderly in this community. That's what I am thinking and calculating.(laugh)
In order to convey the Tiger Dance which is a folk entertainment to the young people, I think we need to help each other and think about community development together. And We want to keep the bond with those people that even if they need to leave this town, they could come back here for the festival. There is no work for the young people in this town, so I could understand why they left from here. But fortunately many Tiger Dance performers are still here and they also have joined the regional firefighter team. I've been trying to let everybody know more about this area through the activities of Tiger Dance and the regional firefighters.