On June 19th, with the focus on middle school and high school students, the popular music group �FUNKY MONKEY BABYS� held free live performances in the city of Miyako and the town of Yamada in the Iwate prefecture.

In the city of Miyako, using the riverbed as the stage, the group enthusiastically sang 10 of their hit songs, including �Chippoke na Yuuki (A Tiny Bit of Courage)� and �Kibou no Uta (A Song of Hope).� �Vocalist Funky Katou greeted his fans with, �It is good that I can see everyone�s smiling faces.�, and there were as many as 2,000 people in the audience.

Waving an uchiwa while listening intently, a Miyako Shougyou High School First Year Student appeared happy, as he said, �I can�empathize�with the lyrics and so I become energized. �From now on, I think I will try my best.�

DJ Chemical revealed his hopes for the future when he said, �Children are symbols of the future. Young people possess a certain power, so when they take the lead, we receive the benefit of a newly built town.�

Source: Yomiuri