8th Asia Pacific Wataboshi Music Festival 2005, Shanghai, China
Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation under the auspices of TanPoPono-ye Foundation of Japan hosted the 8th Asia Pacific Wataboshi Music Festival in Shanghai, China. More than 70 delegates including disabled artists from 11 countries participated. The theme of the music festival was "Peace, Friendship, Equality and Participation". Mr. Sawang Srisom, APCD information support officer 
was chosen by
the Foundation for Children with Disability (FCD) to represent.
The two-hour concert began with the opening speech by Mr. Xu Fengjian, President of Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation, and the parade of each country's delegates. Then disabled artists from each country stunned the audiences with their great and excellent abilities in music performances.
Japan was the first country to initiate this music festival for disabled persons. In order to build an independent home for disabled children, 'Nara Wataboshi Association' was established in Nara province in Japan. In the meantime, there was a 'Nara Folk Village' consisting of young musicians. They got an idea to have a music festival for disabled children. In April 1975, the first domestic Wataboshi Music Festival was held at the Nara Cultural Center. It was the first time that disabled persons performed on stage and sang with the young volunteers of 'Nara Folk Village'. Since then this music festival has spread to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The 9th Asia Pacific Wataboshi Music Festival 2007 will be held in Johor, Malaysia.
