A concert hall to seat 500 inside a balloon in Japan

Tokyo: A giant purple structure believed to be the world's first inflatable concert hall is to open on Japan's disaster-hit northeastern coast, promoters said on Wednesday.

British sculptor Anish Kapoor and Japanese architect Arata Isozaki created the unusual Ark Nova, a balloon made of a coated polyester material which has been erected at a park in the town of Matsushima.

The structure, which organisers say is a world's first, measures about 18 metres high (60 feet) and 35 metres wide when fully inflated with room for about 500 guests.

It can be easily deflated and travel around the region to host events that "help bring people together," a press statement said.

Wood from the area's damaged cedar trees will be used for seating.

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The first event will run from Friday through October 14, including performances by the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra and traditional Japanese kabuki theatre.

The event was arranged with the help of Switzerland's Lucerne Festival, a prominent gathering of world-renowned musicians

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Japan's northeast coast was ravaged by a magnitude 9.0-earthquake and monster tsunami in March 2011, killing nearly 19,000 people and sparking a crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the worst atomic accident in a generation.

The tourist town of Matsushima itself was left largely unscathed because of its protected bay.

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