ItalianoGACKT Makes Surprise Appearance at Graduation Ceremony, Singing Passionately at High School Closing This Month
At the graduation ceremony held at Mitsui Chuo High School in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, which is closing this March, singer GACKT made a surprise appearance and delivered a passionate message: “Dreams aren’t something you see. They’re something you make come true.”
Founded 63 years ago, the school, run by a consortium of three cities and one town, including Kurume City, has graduated over 9,000 students.
However, with a decline in applicants, enrollment continued to fall below capacity, and the school suspended recruitment in 2012.
On the 1st, a graduation ceremony and closing ceremony for 85 third-year students were held, watched by parents, school and community officials, and alumni.
At the ceremony, Principal Akira Oyama delivered farewell words, saying, “Even though the school is no longer here, the irreplaceable time you spent with your friends and the memories you made together will remain in your hearts forever.”
A female student representative spoke of her love for her alma mater and her determination for the future, saying, “We will each move forward into our own future. From tomorrow, our voices will no longer echo in this school building. It will no longer exist as a place of learning, but the days we studied, laughed, and supported each other at our alma mater are memories of our youth. The spirit of our school will live on forever in the hearts of all graduates, including us.”
GACKT’s participation in the ceremony was completely unknown to the students and other attendees.
At the closing ceremony, which took place following the graduation ceremony, the emcee introduced the event by saying, “Today, Principal Oyama has called some friends over for you all,” and GACKT made a surprise appearance from the entrance to the gymnasium.
The venue was instantly filled with cheers.
As soon as GACKT began to sing, the venue fell silent, and only GACKT’s voice echoed throughout the venue.
GACKT chose his own song “Like a Flower Blooming in the Field” as his message for this occasion.
The lyrics include the following passage: “We each begin our journey with our own memories in our hearts. We won’t give up until we reach the place of our dreams. We may still be nameless flowers, but we want to bloom strong and never give up.”
After finishing the song, GACKT offered the following encouragement to the graduates:
“Dreams aren’t something you see. Dreams are something you make come true. And making your dreams come true means having a strong will. I look forward to the future of everyone here. Congratulations on your graduation.”
GACKT explained the reason for his visit to the school: “During a meeting to discuss the Fukuoka leg of his concert tour, I heard that Mitsui Chuo High School would be closing, and that this year would be its last graduation ceremony. I wanted to do whatever I could to add a touch of elegance to the memories of the graduating students and teachers. So, with the help of the principal and the support of many local people behind the scenes, this graduation concert was made possible.”
Source: kbc.co.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA