High school student Kento Itou lost his grandparents, his mother, and his baby brother Ritsu (age 5) to the freezing waters of the tsunami. Just as he began to consider taking his own life, Kento found a small blue koi-nobori (carp streamer) covered in mud amongst the debris. Remembering how little Ritsu and he flew the koi-nobori high one year ago, Kento vowed to live on and honor his lost loved ones. He reached out via social media, and, with the help of local taiko group M’s Japan Orchestra, collected over 200 blue koi-nobori for a Children’s Day memorial ceremony.

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