Popular Tohoku dialect radio exercise 'Oraho no Radio Taiso' turned into book

National Dec. 19, 2012 - 03:36AM JST ( 2 )

TOKYO —

McCann Health Communications, as part of its aid project to support the recovery of the Tohoku region devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake, has produced a book, “Oraho no Radio Taiso” (Our Radio Exercise), detailing the development and impact of the Tohoku dialect Radio Exercise Project that it has been working on since summer 2011 in collaboration with Ishinomaki Hibi Newspaper and Radio Ishinomaki.

The book is authored by the “Oraho no Radio Taiso” Planning Committee.

“Oraho no Radio Taiso” is a Tohoku dialect version of the popularly-practiced, warm-up exercise, “Radio Taiso.” It was created by taking the original recording of “Radio Taiso Dai-ichi” (Routine 1) and replacing the original exercise instruction with one given in the Tohoku dialect. The aim was to help maintain and promote the health of the region’s residents affected by the devastating earthquake, while contributing to the restoration of community. The word “Oraho” in the title means “our” in the Tohoku dialect.

The exercise instructions recorded by multi-hyphenate talent and radio personality Akihiko Honma — a popular local celebrity based in Sendai — and the YouTube video of the people of Ishinomaki City, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, perservering with a smile 6 months after the devastation have attracted much interest and buzz, receiving countless coverage by various media, from newspapers, magazines, and TV to radio and online news outlets.

Currently, the exercise is practiced at 1,200 locations nationwide (estimated), including local municipalities, educational institutions, and factories. It has also been adopted for warm-up exercises in numerous sporting events within and outside of Japan. Furthermore, recently, it is being introduced even more widely — under the name of “Oraho Radio Exercise” — to regions around the world that have suffered from natural disasters with the hope of contributing to a fast and full recovery.

The book costs 1,000 yen and is available at major bookstores nationwide and online at http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4789735559