“Forest Working Bee at Kodo Village” by Satoshi Nakano
Apr. 8, 2014
The mild winter is over and the weather on Sado is unseasonably warm now. All the members of the Kodo Group, who were scattered apart on various tours and projects, assembled in Kodo Village today.
Today is the day when performers and staff work together, welcoming the start of the new work year with a working bee in the Kodo Village forest. This is when the new first-year Kodo apprentices meet all the members of the Kodo Group for the first time.
The work is mainly to gather trees that have been lumbered throughout the forest, chop them into firewood and kindling, take them to the woodpile and stack them; ready to burn next winter at Kodo Village.
It’s a chance to see a different side of our colleagues than we get to see on an average work day. I look forward to this forest working bee each year because I can learn more about everyone.
“The Opening of Sado’s Festival Season” by Michiko Chida
April 1st, Sado’s Festival Season is About to Begin!
First up is the village of Suginoura in Akadomari. Lucky them, they were blessed with great weather for their festival this year! The indigo blue sea is right in front of you when you are in their village and you can almost feel the sea in your body just by standing there.
Kodo Featured in “Dance Magazine”
There is a 10-page special feature on “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” in the March 26 Issue of Japan’s “Dance Magazine” (by Shinshokan). If you are in Japan, we hope you will pick up a copy.
Contents: Interviews with artistic director Tamasaburo Bando and Kodo performers Masayuki Sakamoto & Yuta Sumiyoshi
Shinshokan | Dance Magazine (Contents in Japanese)
From Hekireki, “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” (Photo: Takashi Okamoto)
“On the Road Again” by Ryosuke Inada
The Workshop Performance team just got back 3 days ago, but today they set off on the road again. This time they’ll perform at “Art Mix Japan 2014” and other events. We saw them off playing taiko and cheered them on, in a somewhat macho way.
Do your best!
We promise to practise hard while you’re away!
▼Kodo Performance at “Art Mix Japan 2014”
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20140405artmixjapan_en.html
Announcement from Yosuke Oda
This is an announcement from Yosuke Oda.
I hope this message finds you all well.
I would like to make a personal announcement.
This summer I will get married to Harei Aine, who I collaborated with in the 2013 “Amaterasu” performances.
I realized that I was in love with this natural, beautiful woman who is filled with kindness. I look forward to facing the future with her at my side. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to announce my wedding plans to all of my supporters. I sincerely hope that you will continue to encourage both of us enthusiastically and support our future activities.
Yosuke Oda
Kodo, Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble
Harei Aine starred in the Takarazuka Revue as a male role performer until 2012 and has been a freelance artist ever since. In 2013, she collaborated with Kodo as a special guest artist in “Amaterasu,” portraying Ameno-uzume. We are delighted that she now has an even greater connection to Kodo and Sado Island and we wish Harei Aine and Yosuke Oda a very happy future together.
Harei Aine Official Website (in Japanese)
http://aineharei.com/
Yosuke Oda
http://www.kodo.or.jp/member/yosuke_en.html
“On Tour in Europe” by Jun Akimoto
Now the time has come for our final performance of “Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Legend” in Europe, which will be held in Moscow, Russia.
I’d like to share a selection of photographs from our tour through Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Estonia.
We gave drumsticks to one of the company’s that looks after us in Europe as a special present for their 30th anniversary. Performer Yosuke Kusa drew a scene from “Mystery” on them in beautiful detail.
The end of our tour in Germany! Here we are gathered around our tour manager Friederike (pictured center). ▶ read more
“Today at Ryugon!” by Mitsuru Ishizuka
Mar. 28, 2014
The “School Workshop Performance” team is back in Niigata Prefecture. Tonight we are performing in a dinner show at Ryugon, one of the top three traditional hot-spring inns in Japan!
This will be our fifth consecutive year here. Of course we want the audience members to enjoy themselves, but it is also like a dream for us as performers to come here, soak in the hot springs, eat delicious foods and play taiko together.
This year our performance will also include a collaboration with Niigata-based shamisen player Fumiyoshi, so the program will feature a range of music! I can’t wait for tonight!
▼Rehearsals for the Ryugon Performance
http://www.kodo.or.jp/blog/staff/20140306_635.html
Kodo Website: Kodo Performance at Performance at Traditional Japanese Inn “Ryugon”
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20140328ryugon_ja.html
“Matsurine 2014” by Tomohiro Mitome
The third annual “Matsurine” performance was a roaring success.
The title of the concert literally means “Festival Sound” and it was held at Tokyo’s Sogetsu Hall. The sound of taiko and the shouts from the audience turned the concert into a Japanese festival, as the name intended.
March 23 (Sun) Kodo Guest Appearance “Matsurine 2014”
“Iwasaki-den Sado Onikenbai Practise” by Narumi Matsuda
On Saturday March 8, I went to practise for Iwasaki-den Sado Onikenbai (demon sword dance).
It’s cold in the hall in winter, but everyone works up a sweat under Yoshikazu Fujimoto’s instruction. There were a variety of participants today including the new Kodo junior members, some Kodo staff members, and locals including high school students. One of the great things about learning performing arts is that is brings people together who have very different everyday lives.
Iwasaki-den Sado Onikenbai: This group was formed after Yoshikazu Fujimoto was certified by the leader of Iwasaki Onikenbai, the group who upholds this traditional folk art (demon sword dance) in the Iwasaki area of Kitakami City in Iwate Prefecture.
“Taking Part in a Festival for Recovery, ‘Ryori Damashii’” by Michiko Chida
On March 2, Yoshikazu, Yoko and Motofumi were invited to join a festival called “Ryori Damashii” (meaning Ryori Spirit) in the Ryori area of Ofunato City, Iwate. They gave a heartfelt performance as part of our ongoing “Heartbeat Project.” A year ago, we were introduced to this festival’s organizers through our connections with various people concerned with the disaster-affected areas in Tohoku. Each local area has been making an effort to recover, but everything is still a work-in-progress. Three years have passed since the Tohoku Pacific Earthquake and the committee planned this festival to reawaken local love for their hometown. ▶ read more