Posts by Staff
“Motofumi Yamaguchi’s New Piece Ameyo Kazeyo” by Mitsunaga Matsuura
Dec. 18 Gin-iro no Kaze (Silver Wind) Song & Bamboo Flute Concert
Here is a new piece by Motofumi Yamaguchi, which he will play during the second part of tomorrow’s Gin-iro no Kaze (Silver Wind) Song & Bamboo Flute Concert at Kunitachi Geijutsu Sho-Hall, Kunitachi, Tokyo. He will perform it with Kosuke Urushikubo.
Click below to listen to a sample of it:
And here is a sample of a beautiful piece from Yoko Fujimoto’s latest album “Yamazu Megurumo,” which will feature in the first part of the concert:
December is a busy month, but we hope you will take the time to relax with us to the sounds of soothing vocals and melodic bamboo flutes. We are all waiting for you tomorrow in Kunitachi!
Gin-iro no Kaze (Silver Wind) Song & Bamboo Flute Concert
Date: Dec. 18 (Thu), 2014
Venue: Kunitachi Geijutsu Sho-Hall, Kunitachi, Tokyo
Doors Open: 18:30 Start: 19:00
Advance: 3,800 yen
At-the-door: 4,300 yen
Seating Details: All seats reserved. Please refrain from bringing preschoolers (ages 5 & under).
Event URL: http://www.kuzaidan.com/hall/e?2533
Ticket Outlets: Kunitachi Geijutsu Sho-Hall, Hakujuji (Coffee & Cake) Kunitachi Stn. South Exit Store, Shimada Stationery Store, Marronnier Kunitachi Stn. North Exit Store.
Inquiries: Kunitachi Geijutsu Sho-Hall Tel. 042-574-1515
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20141218kodo3days_en.html
“Performance in Doha, Qatar” by Jun Akimoto
Dec. 7 Special Ensemble Performance in Doha, Qatar
Kodo’s First Appearance in Qatar Marks the 47th Country Kodo Has Visited!
On Dec. 7, a special Kodo cast performed at “Golden Jubilee: The TOYOTA Gala Event presented by Abdullah AbdulGhani & Bros. Company” in Doha, Qatar.
This trip was Kodo’s first ever visit to the Arab world. A traditional music and dance group from Qatar performed with Kodo at this commemorative event.
It was a valuable opportunity for us to experience the rapidly changing nation and region right now, as well as Islamic culture and the daily life and views of the people there.
Kodo Cast: Eiichi Saito, Tomohiro Mitome, Kenzo Abe, Maya Minowa
December Japan Performance Tickets Now on Sale!
Thank you very much to everyone who watched our recent Japanese television appearances: Nippon TV’s “Kokoro Yusabure! Sempai ROCK YOU” and tvk’s “Kodo Eien no Hibiki.”
Featured Kodo Members: Masayuki Sakamoto, Yosuke Oda, Eri Uchida, Maya Minowa, Kosuke Urushikubo, Jun Jidai
Now, please come to see us soon at the live Kodo live performances listed below!
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Eternity
We are proud to present the third work directed by artistic director Tamasaburo Bando: an evolutionary performance entitled “Eternity.” This production premiered on Sado Island on Nov. 20 and is currently on tour around the major cities in Japan.
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20141120oet_en.html
[Upcoming Tour Schedule]
Dec. 2 (Tue) Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Dec. 4 (Thu) Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater Concert Hall, Nagoya, Aichi
Dec. 6 (Sat) & 7 (Sun) NHK Osaka Hall, Osaka City
Dec. 10 (Wed) Okayama Civic Hall, Okayama City
Dec. 12 (Fri) Ueno Gakuen Hall, Hiroshima City
Dec. 15 (Mon) & 16 (Tue) Hakataza Theater, Fukuoka City
Dec. 19 (Fri)–23 (Tue/Public Hol.) Bunkyo Civic Hall, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo
Dec. 25 (Thu) Niigata Prefectural Civic Center, Niigata City
Kodo Workshop Peformances
Enjoy watching, playing and listening to taiko at our “Workshop Performances.” These concerts are fun for the whole family, from youngsters to senior citizens. ▶Schedule & Box Office Details
Dec. 7 (Sun), 2014Kyoto Performing Arts Center Shunjuza, Kyoto City
Dec. 20 (Sat), 2014 Kunitachi Geijutsu Sho-Hall, Kunitachi, Tokyo
Solo/Small-Group Projects in Tokyo
Dec. 18 (Thu), 2014 Yoko Fujimoto & Motofumi Yamaguchi Appearance at “3 Days with Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble Kodo: Gin-iro no Kaze (Silver Wind) Song & Bamboo Flute Concert” (Kunitachi, Tokyo)
http://www.kodo.or.jp/news/20141218kodo3days_en.html
*Kosuke Urushikubo will appear as a guest performer.
We look forward to seeing you all around Japan this month!
Inquiries: Kodo Office Tel. +81-(0)259-86-3630 Email: heartbeat@kodo.or.jp
“This Year’s Wonderful ‘Nanako Matsuri'” by Michiko Chida
“Nanako Matsuri” This Year in Otsuchi, Iwate
Photo from Dec. 2013 “Nanako Matsuri – Fuyu no Jin”
(Courtesy of Kazuhiro Nishijima, Minzoku Geino STREAM )
In December last year, a small Kodo cast took part in a special festival, “Nanako Matsuri.” I remember this “homemade” festival vividly: the wonderful local performing arts from Tohoku’s coastal regions, the passion of the performers, and the enthusiasm of the locals who wholeheartedly looked forward to seeing them. This festival cleansed my soul and gave me a lovely sense of peace.
This year’s festival, “Nanako Matsuri – Hana no Jin” will be held at Sanriku Hana Hotel Hamagiku, Otsuchi, Iwate on December 21 (Sun) from 11:00 am. It will be packed with wonderful performances, but Kodo will not appear this time! We hope you can go along all the same!
“Nanako Matsuri” Concert Flier (in Japanese)
The Tohoku area is a vast treasure trove of traditional performing arts.
This festival is planned and presented by Nanako & Masayuki Sasayama, whose home is a performance venue for the local kagura (sacred Shinto dance & music), and folk art professor Hiroyuki Hashimoto. They believe that the folk performing arts in everyone’s hearts will lead the way to the area’s recovery from this natural disaster.
“Nanako Matsuri” is a great festival because you can see an array of performances and it gives you the chance to meet and talk to the members of the various performance groups who uphold their local traditional arts. This year, the day before the festival has been set aside for exchange, so come along on Dec. 20th to interact with the locals.
Just by going to the disaster area, meeting people there, and watching their performing arts, it really cheers the locals on and supports the area’s recovery. We hope you will show your interest and support by going along to “Nanako Matsuri” this year.
Please note that Kodo will not appear at this year’s festival.
◆JTB Tour (in Japanese)
http://www.jtb.co.jp/tabeat/List.asp?Tourno=c94931bd7ced4f1db82e4af5
Kodo Website | Heartbeat Project
Tour Trucks Get an “Eternity” Makeover
Our new production “Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Eternity” premieres on Sado Island today!
Our tour trucks have a new look, outfitted to match the “Eternity” poster, and they are ready to hit the road, too!
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Eternity
Nov. 20 (Thu) Amusement Sado, Sado Is., Niigata
Nov. 30 (Sun) City Hall Plaza “Aore Nagaoka,” Nagaoka, Niigata
– “Heartbeat Project” Special Version –
Dec. 2 (Tue) Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki, Kanagawa
Dec. 4 (Thu) Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater Concert Hall, Nagoya, Aichi
Dec. 6 (Sat) & 7 (Sun) NHK Osaka Hall, Osaka City
Dec. 10 (Wed) Okayama Civic Hall, Okayama City
Dec. 12 (Fri) Ueno Gakuen Hall, Hiroshima City
Dec. 15 (Mon) & 16 (Tue) Hakataza Theater, Fukuoka City
Dec. 19 (Fri) – 23 (Tue/Public Hol.) Bunkyo Civic Hall, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo
Dec. 25 (Thu) Niigata Prefectural Civic Center, Niigata City
Kodo Photo Gallery [UPDATE]
We have added pages to our Photo Gallery for performers Masayuki Sakamoto, Kenta Nakagome, and Tsuyoshi Maeda. Please click on the photos below to visit each Gallery page.
Masayuki Sakamoto
Kenta Nakagome
Tsuyoshi Maeda
“‘Mystery’ Japan Finale in Shimane” by Narumi Matsuda
The Japan Finale of “Mystery” in Shimane
The Japan performances of “Kodo One Earth Tour: Mystery” ended at Oda Shimin Kaikan in Shimane on Oct. 26. It was also the last One Earth Tour performance for cast members Kenzo Abe and Yosuke Inoue.
Our tour ended in Shimane, where the original folk art that serpent dance Jamai is based on is upheld. All the members, especially serpent performer Yosuke Kusa, got so nervous soon after we arrived in Shimane. A serpent was on display in the lobby (see the picture below) and we received warm applause from the members of Yunotsu, who taught us the serpent dance. The performers must have felt really encouraged by their support. The performance was really lively thanks to this great atmosphere, created by everyone there: the audience, the staff backstage and front of house, and the entire cast. Thank you, everyone!
“Appearance on Hiroshima TV” by Narumi Matsuda
Mariko Omi, Yosuke Kusa and Kosuke Urushikubo visited Hiroshima TV on Oct. 21. They announced the Hiroshima performance of our new “Kodo One Earth Tour: Eternity” production on Dec. 12 and performed live on programme “Terebi Ha.” It will be our first performance in Hiroshima City in two years. We hope you are looking forward to it, we certainly are!
You can watch the footage of our appearance on the Hiroshima TV website. Please take a look!
http://www.htv.jp/event/
Kodo One Earth Tour 2014: Eternity
Dec. 12 (Fri), 2014 Ueno Gakuen Hall, Hiroshima City
http://www.kodo.or.jp/oet/20141212a_en.html
“One Earth Tour Travel Days” by Narumi Matsuda
On our “travel days,” we sometimes have to drive hundreds of kilometers from one theatre to the next. On these long drives, we take several breaks at road stops and expressway service areas. Some people buy coffee, others stretch… each person spends these pitstops as they wish.
Junior member Shunichiro is always holding drumsticks when he’s on the bus. On this travel day, he received advice from two of the seniors in the group, Takeshi and Masaru. I think our travel days provide a good chance for communication amongst our members.
Thank You for Coming to Our “Kodo Special Performances on Sado Island 2014: Autumn”
Kodo Special Performances on Sado Island 2014: Autumn
Many people came to see Kodo’s performances at Shukunegi Community Hall this fall. The performers created a colorful world on stage with a joyful atmosphere to suit the harvest season. Thank you all for coming along!
After each performance, the performers played taiko outside to farewell the audience. The sound of taiko echoed out clearly, high into the sky.
Kodo Special Performances on Sado Island 2014: Autumn
Oct. 2 (Thu)–Oct. 5 (Sun), 2014 Shukunegi Community Hall, Ogi Peninsula, Sado Island, Niigata
Appearing: Kodo (Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Chieko Kojima, Motofumi Yamaguchi, Eiichi Saito, Tomohiro Mitome, Ryosuke Inada)
Special Appearance: Yoshie Abe