Welcome to the Kodo Arts Sphere America (KASA) website.

KASA is a nonprofit organization created in 2002 by Kodo and American taiko representatives. Incorporated and operated from its base in California, KASA’s mission is to facilitate intercultural exchanges and communication between Japanese and American taiko players and communities.

Please read the KASA introduction for an overview of our mission.

KASA/MIX 2010

The next KASA/MIX tour will be in September 2010. If you’re interested in getting information as it becomes available, email Donna at kodoarts@earthlink.net.

KASA/MIX is a wonderful opportunity to experience life on Sado Island at the Kodo Apprentice Centre. You will spend four to five days with the Kodo apprentices in their converted schoolhouse high in the mountains, participating in daily life and taking workshops with Kodo instructors in taiko, dance and song.

Tentatively the schedule will also include a visit to Tokyo and the Miyamoto Taiko Museum and store, and Kanazawa to visit taiko maker Asano Taiko, who celebrated their 400th anniversary in 2009!

2009 KASA Workshop Tour

KASA was honored to have as our workshop leaders Yoko and Yoshikazu Fujimoto from Kodo. From April-May they gave workshops in Seabrook, NJ, New York City, Minneapolis, Vancouver and Victoria, Canada, Denver, San Diego, Irvine, and Los Angeles. They met with many different taiko players, from school children to collegiate players to senior citizens. Workshops covered taiko, odaiko, voice, folk dance and song.

Thank you to all the presenters, taiko communities, and friends all along the way that hosted workshops and opened their homes to Yoko and Yoshikazu and made their stay so memorable. They had a wonderful time!

Read Yoko and Yoshikazu’s article on the workshop tour from the Kodo Beat. (pdf)

Yoshikazu teaching Odaiko.	Yoko teaching voice.

"Morisa Komorisa" Concert with Yoko Fujimoto and Derek Nakamoto

June 6, 2009 was a momentous occasion as it was the first set of concerts by Yoko Fujimoto and Derek Nakamoto of lullabies from their CD together, “Morisa Komorisa.” Presented in collaboration with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, with guest musicians Satnam Tamgotra on tabla and percussion and Ryan Cross on cello and bass, it was a beautifully crafted concert. They hope to do more concerts in the future, but in the meantime you can enjoy their CD—see below.

“Morisa Komorisa” is Yoko’s first CD as a soloist and is a collection of traditional Japanese lullabies from the different prefectures in Japan with musical adaptations composed by Derek Nakamoto. The collaboration created a stunning tapestry of music that best described as heartfelt and cinematic; a blend of classical and world music with a touch of ambient and electronica flavors. There are subtle duets between Yoko’s superb vocals and Nakamoto’s piano improvisations.

Get your copy and copies for family and friends at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/yokofujimoto

News 2005-2008

Chieko is modeling the black (short-sleeved) t-shirt with gray writing.

KASA T-Shirts Available in Green and Blue
KASA t-shirts feature our official logo designed by Hideaki Masago, whose work you might recognize from Earth Celebration illustrations. In adult S, M, L, and XL, these KASA tees are only available at KASA workshops or through our webpage as a "thank you" from us for your donation of $30 or more to KASA.

Please use the donation pdf file to make a donation, and indicate t-shirt size on the form. Questions? Ask Donna.