Warm jazzy harmonies brought comfort and joy as Nishimura Yukie played on a piano that the family had not seen in three years. Her original song “Vitamin” gave this family strength to look forward to a brighter future. Tears in their eyes, the family thanked the dedicated pianist for her help in sharing with them yet another small token of return to normal life. Yukie is one step closer to achieving her goal.

Nishimura Yukie, a renowned pianist and composer in Japan, Europe, and Southeast Asia, is the co-founder of the project, called “Smile Piano 500”. With her dedicated team, she seeks to return pianos to those families who lost their instruments during the earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

Three years have passed since the catastrophic event. Local Japanese news convinces the public that the devastated regions have made significant improvements. However, this is far from reality.

“Have you been up North where the tsunami created the most damage?” questioned Mr. Takatsu, who recently donated a piano to Yukie’s project. “People who haven’t, need to see what is going on up there for themselves. They need to know the reality. It’s saddening to realize that news reports make the situation seem much better than it is. Tohoku is far from reconstructed. The local people simply cleaned up the debris. People there can’t make improvements all on their own. They need help, I tell you. They need help.”

Nishimura Yukie was ready to answer to Mr. Takatsu’s plea. She had close connections with people in Tohoku, affected by the disasters of March 11, 2011, and decided to take action. “I thought about the families who lost all sources of music. I thought about the children that could no longer practice on their pianos at home. I had to do something,” explained Nishimura, who grew up with music and valued its positive influence on people.

Nishimura hopes to return all 500 pianos that Tohoku lost on March 11. “This is why I named this program ‘Smile Piano 500’. It would be impossible for me to return all 500 of them on my own. However, the government will deliver some, people will buy some and I will deliver the others. I hope that in a few years, we, together, will restore all the lost instruments,” explained Yukie.

Nishimura Yukie has a radio program, called “Smile Wind,” which airs in Miyagi, Fukushima, and Iwate. She invites guest artists and speakers from all across the country and spreads the message of “ganbare” to Tohoku. This program helps her not only to raise awareness about the realities of the North, but also to connect with people from the devastated regions and to identify their needs.

Occasionally, she receives messages from younger children, who dream of playing the piano once again. “I can’t imagine how sad they were to lose their instruments. The kids love the sound of the piano. They want to run their fingers across the keys. They need something that will return happiness to their lives,” recalled Nishimura from one such message.

“It’s a tedious process. Finding people who will donate pianos and then moving the instruments across hundreds of kilometers is very difficult,” explained Nishimura Yukie. So far, Nishimura Yukie has successfully delivered 33 pianos. It will take her many years to fulfill her dream, but she hopes that the entire nation will come together to help put smiles back on children’s faces through music.