The “Blue Bird Band” was Japan’s first harmonica band, made up of Nagashima Aiseien residents with visual impairments and formed in 1953. They performed concerts outside as well as inside the sanatorium, and delighted audiences.
| Title | Waiting to perform |
|---|---|
| Title(Original language) | 本番を待つ |
| Year | 1970 |
| Country | Japan |
| Location | National Sanatorium Nagashima Aiseien, Okayama |
| Genre | Photography |
| Owner | National Hansen’s Disease Museum, Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Copyright | Kimiko Saito (wife) |
| Note | 「青い鳥楽団」は1953（昭和28）年に全国に先駆けて長島愛生園で結成された視覚障がい者によるハーモニカバンド。療養所内だけではなく園外でも演奏会を行い、多くの人々に感動を与えた。 |