Harnessing Hope: Syn Looks Back on a Song Aimed to Heal a Grieving Nation

On the 10th anniversary of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami, Syn’s creative director Nick Wood reflects on the making of 'Hope', a duet with Julian Lennon he wrote and produced to honour a nation reeling from the tragedy of the natural disaster and its aftermath. The song was created in collaboration with Tetsuya Komuro, John Jones, Randy Cooke, and the Beyond Tomorrow Students, an initiative to support students who were orphaned by the tsunami, whose voices added depth and optimism to the true work of love.

“It was such a devastating moment in time and we were traumatized as a nation,” recalls Wood. “I felt like I owed it to Japan and even my company to try to bring some hope through music with a song inspired by the one pine tree that remained after the tsunami. Songwriting can be very therapeutic to the writer and the audience, and this is most certainly the case for me.”

Turning to his friends and noted musicians Julian Lennon, John Jones and Tetsuya Komuro, who immediately said yes to collaborating on the project, and between their involvement and bringing the students into the process, it was a very special and moving experience, explains Wood - who was raised in the UK, but has made Tokyo his home for decades.

A decade later, the event is still vivid in the minds of Japan’s citizens, and for many around the world who watched helplessly as footage revealed shocking devastation. For Syn, and Wood specifically, relieving the experience through the behind the scenes tribute film is one marked with many emotions - but rooted in appreciation and reverence. “This project was done with respect and love for Japan, and the massive suffering people experienced, and the hope we all needed at a terrible time.”