After three “Celebration” concerts in Fukushima, the volunteer-based music project is going to be bringing the tunes to Makuhari Messe in September, with the women of Fifth Harmony headlining the event.
The RockCorps movement first launched in the US back in 2003, and its basic concept – volunteer for four hours and get a ticket to see a show that features a handful of musical acts – has proven a hit for bands and fans alike. Over the past 14 years, it has drawn artists like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Vampire Weekend, expanded to 10 countries, and inspired more than 170,000 participants to donate more than 700,000 hours of their time on a variety of volunteer projects.
In the wake of the events of March 11, 2011, the opportunity arose for RockCorps to come to Japan, and with the backing of JT, RockCorps co-founder Stephen Greene launched the program here in 2014. In just three years, more than 12,000 volunteers have logged nearly 32,000 hours, on projects that range from restoring photographs that were damaged in the tsunami to picking up trash in public areas.
At a press event earlier this month, the group Fifth Harmony was announced as the headliners for the Celebration concert, which will be held on Saturday, September 2. Minami Takahashi of AKB48 fame will be repeating her role as RockCorps public ambassador, and the remaining three slots for the show will be revealed in the months to come. In the past, artists such as Asian Kung Fu Generation, Flumpool, and May J have graced the stage, so J-pop fans should be in for a treat.
RockCorps public ambassador Minami Takahashi and RockCorps cofounder Stephen Greene
If you’re interested in signing up for a volunteer opportunity, visit https://rockcorps.yahoo.co.jp/2017/. You may need to use Google Translate a bit, but you can find the volunteer schedule here: https://www.rockcorpsmembers.jp/volunteer. Volunteer events begin on April 29 and continue on until August 27; most volunteer events are held around Tokyo and Fukushima, with a few taking place in Kanagawa and Saitama.
