Jul 24 (Mon), 2017 / Last updated : Jul 24 (Mon), 2017 melanie Kodo Blog, , ,

“In Matsuyama with ‘Spirited Summer'” by Chie Yamawaki

Share Tweet

July 22, 2017

Hello, everyone! This is my first blog post. I’m Chie Yamawaki, a Kodo junior member.

I am currently on tour with “Spirited Summer” and we only have four performances to go.

After our performance in Kurashiki today, we traveled to Matsuyama in Shikoku.

Speaking of Shikoku, I am from Kagawa Prefecture.

So when I visit nearby Kurashiki and Matsuyama, it feels similar to being back in my hometown.

The climate and dialect in Western Japan make me feel so relaxed, as did the Sanuki udon noodles I ate during a road-side stop.

This is my first big tour.
My heart felt like it might burst with nerves and worries during the first half of the tour, but all the senior Kodo members supported me through it.
I received a tremendous amount of energy from the smiles and applause the audience gave us at each performance. My heart gets fully recharged with every performance, so I have arrived in Matsuyama filled with energy and with eleven performances worth of wonderful memories.

As this tour progresses, I think each performance feels like a “spirited summer” of its own.
The people, sounds, food, history, atmosphere, water, and other elements of each place we visit blend with Kodo and create a unique, spirited summer experience each time.

Tomorrow we have our Matsuyama performance.
Some years ago I was one of the audience members watching Kodo perform on stage at tomorrow’s venue, Matsuyama Shimin Kaikan.
Now I am a junior member of Kodo and this time I will be on stage performing with Kodo.
Since I was very young, I often visited Matsuyama for fun. I am really looking forward to our spirited summer experience in Matsuyama. I wonder what local flavor will blend into our performance…

For the remainder of the tour, we will head further south to the bottom of Kyushu.
The temperature will rise and so will our spirit on stage!
I look forward to sharing more special summer experiences with you all and taiko. Please come along to see one of our performances.

山脇千栄

Kodo “Spirited Summer” Japan Tour

Photos: Takashi Okamoto

Jul 21 (Fri), 2017 / Last updated : Jul 21 (Fri), 2017 melanie Kodo Blog,

“The Zelkova Tree in the Kodo Village Courtyard Garden” by Narumi Matsuda

Share Tweet

When I look at this tree, I wonder how it got so big all of a sudden. Ten years ago when I first started working for Kodo, it was still quite fragile-looking. Now it creates such solid shade. 

I heard that this Japanese zelkova (keyaki) tree was planted in March 2001. So this year marks the tree’s 17th summer.

Jul 21 (Fri), 2017 / Last updated : Jul 31 (Mon), 2017 melanie Kodo Blog, , , ,

“New Kodo Goods Now on Sale” by Kodo Online Store

Share Tweet

We launched some new Kodo goods this month!

Kodo T-shirt (Blue logo)
This new Kodo tee features a cool blue print for summer!
Order here: http://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/index_en_jpy_1.html

Kodo Towel
Check out this new scarf-style towel! It’s a must-have for hot summer days and sports or taiko practice.
Order here: http://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/goods_en_jpy_104.html

Kodo Die-Cut Stand-Up Memo Cards
These stand-up memo cards feature cut-out illustrations of signature Kodo performance pieces.
Order here: http://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/goods_en_jpy_105.html

These new items will be snapped up quickly, so order yours today to avoid missing out. The towel and memo cards are brand new products, so they’ll make the perfect surprise gift for your favorite Kodo fan or a nice treat for yourself.

All the products in this blog post and more are available at July 2017 “Spirited Summer” performances (cash sales), Sado Island Taiko Centre, and Kodo Online Store in English and Japanese.

Kodo Online Store in English

http://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/

Jul 3 (Mon), 2017 / Last updated : Jul 3 (Mon), 2017 melanie Kodo Blog,

“A Refreshing Gift Between School Performances” by Narumi Matsuda

Share Tweet

June 22, 2017


Our School Workshop-Performance tour is currently visiting elementary schools in Niigata City. After performing at one school this morning, the Kodo members arrived at the next school for the afternoon performance. Just when they were about to begin loading in and setting up for the next performance, the teacher in charge said, “First, here’s an arrival drink!” and gave everyone a bottle of chilled tea. On a hot day, we truly appreciated their great hospitality.

Everyone was touched to read the handwritten message and felt recharged by the nice cold drink. The card reads:
“Dear Kodo,
Thank you for coming today.
Here is some cold tea for you to enjoy.”
It was a great boost before the afternoon performance.

■The current School Workshop-Performance tour cast is:
Yuichiro Funabashi, Yosuke Oda, Shogo Komatsuzaki, Mizuki Yoneyama, Issei Kohira, Yuki Hirata, Chihiro Watanabe

Jun 16 (Fri), 2017 / Last updated : Jun 21 (Wed), 2017 melanie Kodo Blog, , , , ,

“We’re in Yamagata Prefecture!” by Kengo Watanabe

Share Tweet

June 16, 2017

Hello, everyone! This is Kengo Watanabe. It has been a while since my last Kodo Blog post.

Yesterday we arrived in Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture. I visited Sankyo Soko, a rice storehouse that was built in 1893. It is still used today.

I also saw these great Japanese zelkova (keyaki) trees all in a row.


Today we have our final performance of Kodo Premium Concert “An Invitation from Tamasaburo Bando into the World of Kodo.” I look forward to seeing everyone at the theater!

Kodo Premium Concert “An Invitation from Tamasaburo Bando into the World of Kodo”

Kodo Blog Archive