Music for the Dolphins and Whales of Japan
Towards a new connection
with dolphins and whales
2024
Project Anima Ceremony 2024
A video has been completed of the event held in
Taiji on Earth Day, April 22nd.
It's been three years since I started Project ANIMA,
and I'm really glad I didn't give up and kept going until now.
Every year when I watch this video,
I feel like my emotions and judgments are being stripped away
and the ceremony is becoming more like its true form.
It's not that the energy of "opposition"
has completely disappeared from within me,
Something inside me is starting to melt
It's not about what you do,
but what kind of energy you use to express and act.
As a result, I feel that the way things are
reflected in the outside world is changing.
This year, Japanese cameraman
Shu-kun took the footage and edited it.
Perhaps because he is Japanese,
as a foreigner I felt that this video truly expressed
the beauty and depth of Japan since ancient times.
The words of Okano-san, who has been supporting
the project since last year, resonate with me.
"Prayer means that everything is connected
and we are connected to everything."
I felt that this one phrase expressed what
I wanted to express through ANIMA and
why I continue to hold this ceremony.
"Hey, let's all start remembering."
Everything is connected, everything is circulating,
the sea, the earth, humans, nature, our lives, and the life of the sea.
Last week, Sea Shepard's Paul Watson
was arrested on charges in Japan.
I have dedicated my entire life to protecting the life of the sea.
Although Paul Watson is treated as a criminal in Japan,
I really respect him.
No matter how different his approach was from mine,
I felt the depth of his love for the sea.
He often says, "When the ocean dies, we die."
The ocean may seem like a distant presence in our daily lives,
but it supports all life on this planet.
Mother Ocean. Perhaps it's time to remember
the majesty and love of her existence.
We would like to thank the artists who supported this year's ceremony, everyone who participated in the crowdfunding campaign, and the Grass Boat Weavers who wove the boat of light.
I express my heartfelt gratitude
We look forward to your continued support.
A short video and message calling for crowdfunding for the ceremony
Each year on Earth Day, April 22,
we send a small boat of light, with prayers,
to Taiji for the dolphins and whales.
Just as I was supported by wonderful guides on land,
in the ocean the dolphins guided
my journey of inner transformation.
Without them, I would not be who I am today.
Dolphins are like the native people of the sea.
They have their own language, culture, and wisdom.
From them, I received the essence of “Being”
— a way of existence.
It means… to exist in pure joy,
to live in the present without judgment.
By resonating deeply with them,
we are reminded of unconditional love.
As I spent time with the dolphins,
I awakened more fully to myself, and at the same time
my awareness expanded toward all life on Earth.
I came to feel that the Earth — Gaia — is a living being.
Through Project Anima,
we share this new way of relating to dolphins and whales,
and the remembrance that we are part
of the living Gaia.
