USAG Japan in Kure, USARJ Band take part in first full-scale Kure Port Festival in four years

KURE, Japan - The Kure Port Festival, one of the city's largest annual outdoor public events, returned this year and included participation from U.S. Army units both local and from Camp Zama.

The U.S. Army Japan Band kicked off the 66th annual staging of the event April 29 in Kure City, performing live music alongside the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Band in Kure.

This year marked the first full-scale staging of the event in four years following two cancellations and one downsized version due to COVID-19. Despite the day's persistent rainy weather, crowds of people who had been waiting for the festival's return lined the street.

This was the third time in Kure for Sgt. 1st Class Harrison Reed, a trombonist assigned to the USARJ Band. It was great being able to once again perform live music for the audience there, and exciting to see the town come alive again, he said.

"I was really surprised to see how many people showed up to the event even though it was raining," Reed said. "I feel like the audience was very receptive and they seemed to be having a good time, clapping and singing along."

The city of Hiroshima is deep with history, both pre- and post-World War II, so being able to perform there as an American and a guest in the city meant a lot to him, Reed said.

"I think it's amazing that we were able to perform with the JMSDF members, considering all of the history in this city, and it made it a meaningful event being together like this," Reed said. "The JMSDF members are really good musicians, and it's great to work with our allies."

This was the last time Reed will be able to perform in Japan, and he said getting to play four such enthusiastic audiences here for the last four years has been amazing. Reflecting on his time here, Reed said he is going to leave his heart in Kure.

"For an Army band, this is the most important job we can do," Reed said, referring to playing for host-nation audiences. "This is the best way we can actually cooperate with our allies as a form of diplomacy and outreach to the communities."

Festival goer Yoshie Kawamura said she has been coming to the festival for more than two decades, but this was her first opportunity to see the U.S. Army and JMSDF bands performing together.

"I was moved by their beautiful music," Kawamura said. "I was impressed with how natural and harmonious the collaboration was."

Kawamura said she personally welcomes the Army's presence in her city and hopes Kure will continue to offer more bilateral events like this in the future.

"It made my day to be able to see such a great live music performance and to take my picture with the U.S. Army band members afterward," she said.

Kure City Mayor Yoshiake Shinhara, who was in attendance, thanked both bands for their collaborative performance, which he said helped to energize and bring joy to the city's attendees as the festival kicked off.

"With the U.S. Army's participation, the festival has become not just a local celebration, but a global one, and we are very appreciative of that," Shinhara said.

Members from U.S. Army Garrison Japan and the 10th Regional Support Group at the nearby Kure Pier 6 installation joined the festivities with a concession booth selling American-style food and refreshments like hot dogs, nachos and sodas.

Adam Negri, Akizuki Sub-Facilities Engineer at Kure, said it was great being able to join in the festival because he and the other volunteers were able to see the amount of enthusiasm and support the local citizens have for the event. He noted that their booth sold out of hot dogs before lunchtime.

"Our Army family here is a part of this community, and we are happy to show our support by participating in the festivities," he said.

Shinhara said he and the city are grateful for the support from the U.S. Army. Having them as part of Kure makes it a diverse, multicultural city, he said.

"It is very significant that the U.S. and Japan cooperate the way we do, because through that we are able to build partnerships with each other and pass them on to the next generation," Shinhara said.

The Port Festival attracted an average of 300,000 people annually prior to the pandemic, Shinhara explained. The event began as a way to celebrate the revitalization of the coastal city's industrial presence and the use of its ports after World War II.

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