Emily in Sado (Part 1)
Earth Celebration, Kodo, Naruwan, there's too much.
Way too much. Life moves fast. I’ve been in Japan for almost a year. Deleted 3 versions of this post because I was scared I would get canceled, and then realized you can’t say everything in 1 post. Since I first attempted writing this, I’ve been to Nagano with GOCOO, played taiko for a Dutch TV show, went to Kawachi bon odori (one of the most unique bon odori I’ve ever been to), and saw my “ichiban tomodachi” from SF.
It’s been almost a month since Sado island, which again, is intimidating to talk about. How do you write about a world renown taiko group who also defy the “don’t talk to your heroes” mentality? I mean down to their non-performing staff members, they live through taiko, geinoh, generosity, and a form of kindness that makes you forget that they’re of an elite taiko class.
NON TAIKO FRIENDS. Let’s talk about who this group is, what is Sado island, and again, I’m not here to waste space that A.I. can cover, so many links ahead:
Kodo is the most well known internationally traveled taiko group that could be considered the most famous as they’ve taken some of the oldest forms of taiko with incredible history, and format it to a stage performance with the utmost care and consideration for preservation, while also transforming it with the movement of time. They push music to its limits, and create collaborations with local and international top artists. Not a unique story, they’re a group I saw as a kid who I fangirled and fantasized about joining. They’re professionalism, care, and perfection is unmatched, and they’ve influenced many groups within and outside of Japan.
They have an intense 2 year apprenticeship program. The first was a video popular amongst taiko players that introduced the apprenticeship program more internationally, and the second is a more up to date video.
And here are some examples of the quality of music, performances, and taiko they release:
Various clips of Kodo and what they’re known for:
“Cycles” promo (Yuta Sumiyoshi’s production):
A promo with ANA that shows their versatility to appeal to anyone (yes it’s old, yes it’s simple, but I can’t help but still watch it after 6 years):
Earth Celebration: Besides during the covid pandemic years, they have a yearly what I call “Taiko Bonnaroo” festival that they host for 3 days (video link). People travel from all over and may even camp out for this festival with their sake and beers. They have workshops and performances throughout the day, all of which Kodo hosts and sometimes performs in, and each night ends with their performance which has been moved close to the harbor next to the ocean under shooting stars.
K, everybody back?
I was fortunate to ride the coattails of the addictively energetic Diana Wu and Naruwan Taiko, her equally energetic kumidaiko group in San Diego who also performed in the first Big Little Taiko concert and one of the very few American kumidaiko groups to perform in Earth Celebration. (Enter applause here)!! My Naru duty was to drive the Narucrew and hand out cooling wipes whenever possible.
And riding the coattails is no exaggeration. Because of Diana’s contagious energy towards taiko and memorable booming spirit she carries as a human being, she has a wealth of connections and friends, and through this, we were given access to private areas like the apprentice center, Kodo village, and Fukaura Schoolhouse practice space. We hung out with the Kodo members and staff doing touristy things, got dinner and drinks, and developed friendships. With the generosity of Yui, Kodo production manager and selfless freelancer for the taiko world that everyone should hire and pay, we were given tours and history of these spaces and greater Sado.
It’s so easy to forget how precious and rare these types of opportunities are when the people around you present it in a way that resembles “you truly deserve to experience this.” But the reality is that this is special, and the only viable response I feel is to not overwhelm the person with gratitude, but to hold onto these memories, and share it with the people you think will be able can see the value and depth of such a precious moment.
If you watched those videos and sites, you’ll see that I’m not exaggerating, as the people of Kodo have dedicated their lives and produced art that takes nature, society, and history to create performances that opens everyday audience’s minds. And while creating world class performances, they present themselves with genuine smiles and open arms. And the people that they bring together to their festival also resemble some of their spirit.
So is the point of this post to fangirl about Kodo and all of the people that have impacted me on Sado (like the other fascinating and exciting attendees)? I mean, yes, but for some structure, this will be broken down into 2 sections: the financials what it was like to do 10 days in Sado (hence staying for Ogi Matsuri a week later) and 3 memories that go beyond the main evening concerts to encourage you to attend EC. But again, I had the fortune to ride on some pretty awesome coattails.
First the financials (not quite what you asked for, TPP, but in the wheelhouse of a snippet of cost of living).
For someone who’s relying on savings and limited to a part time job that pays about $300 a month, yeah this was out of my budget, but when once in a lifetime opportunities arise, ya do it, no matter how financially constipated you are. And I have privileges of not having people relying on me financially, and absolutely this was worth every cent, if not more.
Granted, there are areas I would’ve changed if I was traveling solo, (perhaps even not staying for Ogi Matsuri) but, when traveling with a massive group of people, you shut up, and just pay. The less conflicting factors, the more enjoyable it’ll be for everyone, including yourself because the point of traveling with a group is spending time with the great people you chose to be with! And for the next few months, this kid will be walking instead of taking the train (points at sweaty self in what feels like forever 90 degree humidity).
Alright, and 3 memz:
SADO NATURE: Yuta Sumiyoshi once said that the sounds around him inspires his compositions. Listening to the music and stage shows, especially ones released during the pandemic, makes more sense after being in the nature of Sado Island. Since you’re away from the city, the noises and silence of the vegetation and sea are more vibrant. In fact, I was so moved by nature I forced my car to listen to The Heartbeat Laboraties albums while driving along the ocean. It’s easier to be moved by its beauty and feel your own thoughts and emotions with less things happening around you. Have you ever seen a night sky so endless that you thought you were swallowed into the stars? I hadn’t, and you can’t help but sink into the present when these moments arise.
NOISM AND KODO: Personally, the most memorable performance was the collaboration of NOISM and KODO (6:04 start), which was a fringe performance. Noism, an experimental dance company in Niigata and Japan’s first residential dance company at a performing arts theatre, felt the sounds of “yatai bayashi” through movement and storytelling. You could see the “dons” rippled through their body while their face expressions resembled the intensity of the piece. It was exciting, and I hadn’t seen anything like it before, and I just want more, but unfortunately, you can’t get these special collaborations outside of Japan.
BIG LITTLE TAIKO FEST (video link): Naruwan performed last after 3 very different groups from around Japan. At the very end, they all performed Haruka together, and I started crying. Little did I realize that some of the folks would soon suffer from light heat exhaustion, and perhaps I was as well after going through overheated phones to film the whole thing with the other Naru non performers. But in all honesty, I couldn’t help but feel immense happiness for my friends to push through the heat and give it their all to play not just next to KODO, but other taiko performers from across Japan.
Stay tuned for more about Ogi Matsuri, Nagano, and bringing it back to TAWOO/ GOCOO.
Oh, but food! At our ryokan, the owner caught fresh fish every morning to serve for us, along with many pickles, rice, natto every now and then, miso, and various other side dishes, MAN! It was so hot that I barely ate during the day, so talk about a life saver. Eating like kings for breakfast, I can’t. Even.
Lesson #102 never say no to a Japanese breakfast
That’s it… for now!
Love this Emily! Such a great writer 😃I’m reliving it all over again ❤️ Looking forward to the next episode!
I absolutely love your writing. Looking forward to reading more! Spending time with you and the gang has been such a core and wholesome moment for me this summer :)