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Jpop Charity Concert in Shoreditch, June 28

A charity Jpop concert in Shoreditch on Thursday June 28 offers the chance to see Mari Natsuki, the singer, dancer and actress who was the Japanese voice of Yubaba in Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Natsuki also voiced Zeniba, Yubaba's sister, in the same film, and she played the hero's mother in the live-action manga adaptation Ping Pong.

The concert also features Nobu Saito, who provided percussion for Akira.

Japan, We've Not Forgotten You is presented by Japan Underground to send earthquake aid to the country. The venue is McQueen on Tabernacle Street in Shoerditch, near Old Street station (map). The event runs from 1900 to 2200 and tickets are £12, on sale here (Over-18s only).

From the facebook page:

Four chart topping Japanese pop musicians, amongst other big names, will make a rare appearance in London on Tuesday 28th June 2011. They will perform at a charity concert held at McQueen in Shoreditch which aims to send further financial aid to Japan, while also offering encouragement not only to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami, but also to Japanese in England and across the world.

The pop artists are; Naomi Suzuki, an actress, singer and presenter from Japan who is also co-ordinating the event; Ayako Nakanomori, the former vocalist of NAKANOMORI BAND, one of Japan's most successful girl-groups; the multi-million selling pop artist Yuki Koyanagi; and singer, actress (Spirited Away, Metal Gear Solid) and two time Japanese Academy Award nominee Mari Natsuki.

“I hope that bringing these world famous artists together will send encouragement to the victims in Japan. It will show them that there are people from all over the world who are caring and supporting Japan,” states Suzuki.

The four will perform separately on the night, and unite to form a special unit to sing the charity single ‘HOME’, the CD of which will be given away free with every ticket. The lyrics to this song were partly composed over Twitter between Suzuki and a victim who had lost his house in the tsunami. “His words captured the feelings of the people affected in a way I never could,” says Suzuki. “We are together, no matter how far we are apart.” The story caught the attention of the Japanese media.

Additional to big four Japanese pop singers will be award winning violinist Diana Yukawa, who will open the event. Her debut album entered the charts at number one in Japan and she recently supported classical Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins at Cheltenham Racecourse.

And if that's not enough, the backing band is also full of world renowned musicians, including Simply Red guitarist Kenji Kazuki, Grammy Award winner Simon Hale, and perhaps Japan's most recognised percussionist, Nobu Saito.