Japan’s Orange Devils alumni band performs in Taipei to thank Taiwan for 2011 quake aid

日本「橘色惡魔校友團（Orange Devils）」在台北演出，感謝台灣在2011年震後提供的協助。

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On the 15th anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on Wednesday, alumni from Japan’s Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School marching band held a flash mob performance at the Grand Hotel in Taipei to thank Taiwanese fans for their support.

Band coach Shima Nanaho said that March 11 is an unforgettable day for the Japanese, and that over the past 15 years they have been deeply thankful for the support of their friends in Taiwan, per CNA. She said the Wednesday performance was meant to show their continued appreciation and give back to Taiwanese audiences, continuing the band’s tradition of visiting Taiwan.

The ensemble, nicknamed the “Orange Devils,” first visited Taiwan in 2022, becoming the first foreign group in history to perform at the National Day celebration. The following year, they held parades at Kaohsiung’s Dream Mall and Taipei’s Ximending shopping district, and performed a solo ticketed concert at the National Concert Hall.

The students participating this year are 121st-class alumni who have formed their own band for this trip. With support from the General Association of Chinese Culture and E.SUN Bank, they held a ticketed concert that night, and they also performed on the Taiwan Lantern Festival stage the previous evening.

For Wednesday’s Grand Hotel performance, fans were already lining up before 8 a.m. to secure a good spot. More than 100 spectators attended.

In just five minutes, the group performed hits including “High School Musical,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and their signature “Sing, Sing, Sing,” while enthusiastically high-fiving, waving, and making heart signs to the audience. Some attendees said that after seeing the group at the Taiwan Lantern Festival the night before, they came specifically to see the flash mob.