http://www.cine.co.jp/monshen/official/talkshow/
Chihiro took part in Psalm's mini live concert at Ikkakuza.
Photos: Chihiro singing Psalm's "Umi no Uta." Click on the link in the lower left corner of the article.
Tamai-san's blog at http://psalm.exblog.jp/d2006-12-27
The top photo: At the rehearsal for the Ikkakuza special live performance, September 10. Tamai-san is the first and Chihiro is the second one from left.
Tamai-san says she made up her mind to make this film immediately when she heard Chihiro's "Gekko" because she thought she finally heard the voice of an imaginary, silent girl whom she named "Chii" and who had always haunted her mind. (Incidentally, she later learned that one of Chihiro's nicknames is also "Chii.") Chihiro offered to sing "Umi no Uta" with Tamai-san, who is very grateful to Chihiro for her kindness and various things.
Psalm's "Umi no Uta" can be downloaded at http://www.mf247.jp/view/index.php?module=msc&msc_id=0031780005 for free (Apparently Chihiro is not singing here).
As a comment on an unnamed person's blog, Ms. Yumi Tamai—the composer/musician/scenario writer of the film Monshen and the voice actress who did the girl named "Rin" in Hayao Miyazaki's film Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)—posted an inside story of Chihiro's comment on Monshen.
As a friend of hers, Tamai-san was unsure if she could ask for a comment from Chihiro—who has been inactive for a long time—and brooded over it since it may have a significant impact to post her comment on a public site. But Chihiro quite gladly accommodated her request.
Chihiro also gave her permission to post photos of the live performance at the premiere but Tamai-san is cautious about the idea because she feels that the environment that surrounds Chihiro is exposed to something that is both "unimaginably rapid and sharp."
Tamai-san has been delivering Oni fans' message to Chihiro—the message that every fan is waiting for her to come back. Although Chihiro doesn't seem to readily believe it, Tamai-san hopes every fan will believe in Chihiro and will continue waiting.
Tamai-san also hopes that someday she will have the chance to report on the live performance.
Chihiro's comment about the film Monshen is shown at the top of the film's official page (http://www.cine.co.jp/monshen/official/). She says that its music is beautiful and so are the images, and that we rarely see a film with such a high standard of aesthetic sense.
Additional showings of the film are planned from January 13 through 26 at Polepole Higashinakano theater, Tokyo.
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