Japan entered World War II when Akiko was a teenager. On August 6, 1945, tens of thousands were killed by the atomic bomb that leveled her city. Akiko died the next day.

Remaking an unplayed piano. He makes them into desks, shelves and even doorstops. The sense of memory and history in an old piano is something he approaches with both reverence and a bit of ...

Instructor Masako Yoshimori, left, teaches Shinichi Nakazawa during a piano lesson in Tokyo's Meguro Ward on Dec. 17, 2024. (Mainichi/Tatsuya Fujii) TOKYO -- Musical instruments are a famous way ...