The Quake: One Year Later

Cyndi Lauper spent more than a week in Japan to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed the coastline communities of the northeastern portion of the country.

Lauper had just arrived in Japan for a tour in 2011 when the quake hit. Unlike other foreign performers in the country at the time, she stuck it out and fulfilled all her concert obligations, even donating proceeds from the shows to disaster relief. The gesture did more for national morale at the time than any encouraging speeches by local public figures.

While in Japan this time, Lauper again participated in charity events for the devastated areas, which are continuing with recovery efforts. She traveled to the affected region March 5 to attend a relief event.

“We are bringing baby cherry blossom trees,” she told her fans. “The soil is too salty but they are going to re-soil the area.” She appeared at a local school and presented the trees to a group of children as part of a ceremony.

Lauper’s three-day concert run in Tokyo culminated in a show on March 11 itself at Orchard Hall that was taped. It will later be shown in movie theatres throughout the disaster area to residents for free. In other areas it will be shown for a fee, with all the money going to charity.