The wish of this year's World Harmony Run was to meet many, many children. Under the auspices of Kamakura city, which has reached 51 years since proclaiming herself a Peace City, we ran during two days of June 2nd and 3rd through the streets of Kamakura and visited eight elementary schools, preschools and nursery schools meeting the total of about 600 children. We sang, ran together and held the torch with them, and all the members of the team were so touched and grateful!

今年のワールドハーモニージャパンは「たくさんの子どもたちと出会いたい！」と願っていました。平和都市宣言51周年を迎える鎌倉市に後援をいただき、鎌倉市内をリレーしながら6 月2日、3日の2日間で小学校、幼稚園、保育園、学童保育を計8箇所訪ね、計約600名の子どもさんたちと出会い、一緒に歌い、走り、トーチを持つことができました！メンバー一同感謝、感激です！

6月2日

Japanese, Czech and Mongolian team members came from Tokyo, Kanazawa, Osaka etc. to gather in Kamakura. We did a short rehearsal in a park near the first school where we were expected to arrive at 8:35. Many thanks to the security guard who let us park our cars in the parking lot of the shopping center although it was before their opening time! One year has passed since we did the program for the schools but we quickly regained the feel for it after a short practice – and now all we need to do is to be calm and full of joy once we get there…

日本人、チェコ人、モンゴル人のスタッフが、東京、金沢、大阪、神戸などから鎌倉市に集合です。１番めの訪問先の開始時刻、8：35に間に合うように、近くの公園でリハーサル。ショッピングセンターの駐車場に、開店前なのに特別に入れさせてくれた警備員さん、どうもありがとうございます！このプログラムをするのは１年ぶりですが、ちょっと練習したら、勘が戻ってきて、あとは本番の度胸と落ち着きのみ！

Our first visit was to Tamanawa Elementary School, where 103 fourth-graders were waiting for us in the schoolyard. Introduction of the Harmony Run and singing of the theme song accompanied by instruments followed. Our instruments are Indian harmonium (a small organ) and tabla (a pair of small and bigger drums) plus flute.

最初の訪問先の玉縄小学校では、４年生103名が校庭で待っていてくれました。ハーモニー・ランの紹介と、楽器をいれてのテーマソング合唱。楽器はインドのハーモニウム（小さなオルガン）とタブラ（大小ペアの小型太鼓）、フルートです。

Harmony program at Tamanawa Elementary school
玉縄小学校でのハーモニー・プログラム

It was a full one-hour program with playing games and running. Thank you children for participating with such enthusiasm! We were also grateful for the tea provided by the principal, Ms. Hosoya – it tasted so good in the heat!

一時間たっぷり、ゲームをしたり、走ったりのプログラムです。みんな、熱心に参加してくれてありがとう！細谷校長先生、お茶の差し入れ、ごちそうさまでした。炎天下の中、スタッフ一同おいしくいただきました！

We said the motto "Harmony begins with me" together
「ハーモニーは私から始まる」というモットーをみんなで言いました

Two members of the staff who participated for the first time were a bit overwhelmed in the beginning but they soon got into motion and started enjoying the relay and the program. And that is the point! We visit schools to give joy to the children but we also enjoy it as much, if not more, and receive a lot of energy from the children. That’s the magic of Harmony Run!

スタッフで今回初参加の二人も、最初はとまどいつつも、楽しんでくれたよう。そう！子どもたちに楽しんでほしくて訪ねていくのですが、私たちも同じくらい楽しんで、お互いにたくさん元気をもらうのです！ハーモニー・ラン マジックです！

Runners heading for Fukasawa Preschool
深沢幼稚園に向かって走るチーム

The next stop is Fukasawa Preschool. It is a big preschool and 214 children aged between 3 and 5 were expecting us in the playground wearing colorful caps. They put a lot of effort into international education here and even have an English teacher, Ms. Jimbo, who grew up in New York. The director, Ms. Kitamura, holds a strong wish that the children become exposed to the world at large and was really looking forward to the visit of the World Harmony Run.

次は深沢幼稚園。大きな幼稚園で、3－5歳児全員の214名がカラフルな帽子をかぶり、園庭で私たちを待っていてくれました。ここは国際教育にとても力を入れていて、ニューヨーク育ちの神保先生という英語担当の先生までいらっしゃいます。北村園長先生も、子どもたちに広い世界との交流という経験を持ってほしい、という強い願いを持っておられ、今回のハーモニー・ランの訪問を本当に楽しみにしてくださいました。

The lively kids from Fukasawa Preschool
深沢幼稚園の元気な子供たち

Children listening intently to the foreign runners' country presentation
外国から来たランナーの国の紹介を聞く子どもたち

The children sang in high spirit a welcome song for us which touched us deeply. It was a song including the greeting “Hello” in various languages. When doing the “virtual trip around the world” game, where the children say the motto “Harmony begins with me” in four languages (Japanese, English, Mongolian and Czech), the children who have arrived in the English language country, upon being asked in English, “Are you ready?” replied cheerfully “Ready!!”.

元気な声で歓迎のお歌を歌ってくれて、感激。数ヶ国語で「こんにちは」と挨拶してくれる歌です。日本語、英語、モンゴル語、チェコ語の4ヶ国語でモットーの「ハーモニーはわたしから始まる」をいうバーチャル世界旅行では、英語の国に来た子どもたちに “Are you ready?”ときくと、すかさず、 “Ready!!”という元気な答え。

Children are always fascinated by the torch
トーチに目を奪われる子供たち

In the end they made a circle and saw us off with a high-five. We said “bye-bye” and “thank you” to their cute eyes as we touched their tiny palms. During the program we were full of gratitude and joy, which filled our hearts all the more.

最後輪になって私たちをハイファイブで見送ってくれました。ちっちゃな手とつぶらな瞳に、「ありがとう！またね！」と挨拶。プログラムの中でも、感謝の気持ちがいっぱいになって、よかったなあ、嬉しいなあ、と感慨ひとしおのときです。

May we become better friends ...
みんなが仲良くなりますように ...

"Bye-bye, see you again!"
「バイバイ、また会おうね！」

The visit to this preschool was aired on Kamakura Cable TV (please click here for the transcription).

ここには鎌倉ケーブルテレビの取材がこられました。番組のスクリプトはこちらでご覧ください。

At this point half of our scheduled visits for the day was over and we had a lunch break. During the Harmony Run we really cannot do without supermarkets and convenience stores along the route.

今日の予定が半分終了したところで、お昼休憩。ハーモニー・ラン中は、コース近隣のスーパーやコンビニに大変お世話になります。

Today’s third item on our visiting list is Kamakura Shiroyama Preschool. In the yard shared with a goat the children sang and danced the theme song cheerfully. We sang the Japanese version together and then the children cheered us by dancing during the English, Czech and Mongolian versions.

今日３つめの訪問先は鎌倉しろやま幼稚園。ヤギのいる園庭で、子どもたちはテーマソングを元気に歌って踊ってくれました。日本語は一緒に歌って、英語、チェコ語、モンゴル語バージョンは踊って応援です！

Kamakura Shiroyama Preschool
鎌倉しろやま幼稚園

The children made small circles joining their hands in friendship and each group held the torch. One by one they took it into their palms wishing in the heart their own wish, like “May we become better friends!”.

仲良く手をつなぎ小さな輪になって、グループごとにトーチを持つ子どもたち。「もっとみんなが仲良くなれるといいな」、そんな、自分の願いごとを心に思いながら握っていきます。

Holding the torch with a wish for harmony
ハーモニーへの願いを心に思いながらトーチを握る

The children from Shiroyama Preschool were enthusiastic, too
鎌倉しろやま幼稚園の子供たちも熱心でした

When the program was over and the team runners started running away, the children dashed after us to see us off up to the gate and waved at us. It was fun for us too! Let us meet again!

プログラムが終わってランナー・チームが走りだすと、夢中で見送ってくれ、門のところまで出てきて手を振っていてくれました。私たちもとっても楽しかったよ！また会おうね！

A cheerful send-off by the children
子供たちの元気な見送り

The last visit today was to Ofuna Elementary School, just near Ofuna station. The principal, Mr. Yamaguchi, is an enthusiastic expert schoolmaster giving much importance to communicating and working with the people of the local region. He became really interested in the Harmony Run and a week before our visit he himself gave a class on the Run to the students so they were already well prepared!

今日最後は大船駅に程近い大船小学校。山口校長先生は地元密着型のとっても熱心なベテラン校長先生。ハーモニー・ランにとても興味をもってくださり、一週間前、自ら4年生に授業を行ってくださり、子どもたちはハーモニー・ランについて予習ずみでした！

Students of Ofuna Elementary School eagerly listening to our presentation
一生懸命耳をかたむけてくれる大船小学校のみなさん

Czech was guessed only by showing her national flag
旗を見せるだけで一発でチェコをあてた

In the country-guessing quiz upon showing the flag the right answer “Czech” came immediately and we were pleasantly surprised. Everybody, including the teachers, made a circle and the torch was passed from hand to hand. When the torch reached the principal, everyone started clapping.

国当てクイズでは、国旗を見せたら「チェコ」とすかさず正解がでて、わたしたちがびっくりです！全員が輪になって、先生も一緒に、トーチを手から手へ、つないでいきます。最後校長先生のところへトーチが行くと、全員拍手。

The wish for a better world spreads through the torch
より良い世界への願いはトーチを伝って広がっていく

The children run so fast that the runners barely catch up with them!
子供たちは走るのが速くて、ランナーが追い付かない！

Thanks for the joyful time!
楽しい１時間をありがとう！

A group photo from Ofuna Elementary School
大船小学校の記念写真

After our visit, the children from Ofuna Elementary School sent us their impressions of our visit. You can see a selection of the texts　here.

大船小学校の子供たちからたくさんの感想文をいただきました。その一部はこちらで見ることができます。

A report on this visit was published in the Shonan morning edition of Asahi newspaper on the following day (June, 3rd). Read the article here.

この訪問の模様は、朝日新聞6月3日朝刊の湘南版に掲載されました。こちらをクリックして、記事を表示できます。

Then, the team headed for the Kamakura City Hall. As last year, we received an encouragement message from the Mayor of Kamakura City (click here for the original version and here for English translation). Since last year, two staff members at the Department of Cultural promotion: the manager’s assistant, Mr. Seki, and Mrs. Uchida have been especially helpful in making the Wolrd Harmony Run happen in Kamakura. In spite of the fact that it was a busy time during office hours, they came down to meet us at the front door, hold the torch and wait until we departed for our hotel. Thank you very much!

そのあと一同は鎌倉市役所へ向かいます。昨年同様、鎌倉市長様より、激励のメッセージをいただきました。窓口になってくださっている文化推進課の関課長補佐さんと、内田さんには、昨年以来、お世話になりっぱなしです。市役所の営業時間のお忙しいときにもかかわらず、玄関にでてきてくださり、トーチをもってくださり、宿に向けて出発するのを見送ってくださいました。本当にどうもありがとうございます！！

With Mr. Seki and Mrs. Uchida from Kamakura City Hall, to whom we are deeply grateful
たいへんお世話にになった鎌倉市役所の方と共に

The sweaty runners headed for the night’s accommodation, the Kanagawa Women's Center in Enoshima. Nice rooms overlooking the sea, a hot bath – an ideal place for looking back at a joyful day and taking rest for the next day. A big “thank you” to this day!

汗まみれのランナー・チームの向かう先は今晩の宿泊先、江ノ島にある県立かながわ女性センター。海が見えるきれいな部屋。あったかいお風呂。楽しかった一日を振り返りながら、明日に向けて体を休めるのに最適な宿のようです。今日一日に「どうもありがとう！」

Team Members:
砂押, 丹羽, 伊藤, 桃原, 吉田, Akanda (モンゴル), オンボ (モンゴル), ボルマー (モンゴル), 山田, カレル (チェコ), アド (日本), 末次

Gallery: See more images!