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.

Kodo's Heartbeat Project

Kodo has launched Heartbeat Project, a multifaceted undertaking designed to support relief efforts and the people of the Tohoku region.

2012 Hanayui and Yoshikazu Fujimoto in Minneapolis, MN

Hanayui, along with Yoshikazu Fujimoto, will be guest artists with Mu Daiko for their 15th Anniversary Concert, February 16-19. Check Mu Daiko's website for ticket information.

2012 KASA/MIX Tour to Sado Island

Our next KASA/MIX tour will take place in September, 2012. We are working on the dates and itinerary, and if you're interested in information as it becomes available, contact Donna (kodoarts@earthlink.net) to be placed on the email list.

KASA/MIX is a once-in-a-lifetime trip not to be missed! Approximately 20 participants from North America will travel to Japan and stay at the Kodo Apprentice Centre located in the beautiful mountains of Sado Island. There you will participate and share in the lifestyle of the apprentices while taking taiko, dance, and song workshops. Tentative itinerary will also include a visit to Asano Taiko in Kanazawa and free time in Tokyo. More info to come.

Below: KASA/MIX 2012 coordinators Toni and Chie at the KASA booth at the recent taiko conference in Stanford.

2011 KASA Concert with Yoko Fujimoto and Derek Nakamoto--"Ayagoromo -- Mindful Transitions"

By Derek Nakamoto

On August 13th, Yoko Fujimoto and I presented "Ayagoromo-Mindful Transitions" in Los Angeles at the Japanese American National Museum's Tateuchi Democracy Forum. We had a memorable time presenitng new renditions of classic folk songs as well as songs from Yoko's "Morisa Komorisa" CD, which were well received by an enthusiastic audience.

With Yoko on vocals and myself on Roland's V-Piano, our ensemble was rounded out with special guest Kaoru Watanabe on flutes and percussion (and translation!); Abe Lagrimas Jr. on drums, vibes and ukelele; Cameron Stone on cello and Andrew Duckles on viola. Yoko and I have been developing and presenting these concerts for the past 3 years and "Ayagoromo" is the current result of our collaboration. I am a huge fan of Yoko's artistry and our goal is to present these musical treasures of Japan with a different "dress" so that they may be enjoyed by our current fans as well as opening the doors to a new audience. Stay tuned for videos of our presentation here in Los Angeles!

2011 North American Taiko Conference in Stanford, CA, August 18-21

Thank you to everyone who stopped by KASA's booth at the marketplace. It was nice seeing old friends and meeting new ones! Kodo's principal singer Yoko Fujimoto gave a fun voice workshop and thrilled Taiko Jam audiences as guest artist in Soh Daiko's wonderful set.

2011 KASA Workshop Concert Tour with Chieko Kojima and Kaoru Watanabe

KASA was pleased to have on tour Chieko Kojima, Kodo's principal dancer, and fue master Kaoru Watanabe, former member of Kodo. The two worked together extensively on Kodo's stage, developing a unique musical mix of Japanese traditional and modern improvised music and dance. The tour traveled to Alameda, Los Angeles, New York, and Arizona .Thank you to all the hosts, presenters, homestays and volunteers who helped make this tour a success!

Check out this wonderful video of Chieko and Kaoru doing Hana Hachijo in concert at Rhythmix Cultural Works on March 4th.

This tour was made possible in part by a grant from the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, in partnership with the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation. Thank you!

Kodo's 30th Anniversary North American Tour - Jan-Mar

This 30th Anniversary One Earth Tour highlighed a new generation of young Kodo performers who will carry the group's traditions into the future. Kodo and KASA hosted a reception in February for the Southern California taiko community in downtown Los Angeles' Little Tokyo. It was a wonderfully fun event reacquainting with old friends and making new ones.

KASA/MIX 2010!

Thank you to Chie and Toni for leading a wonderful KASA/MIX tour. Thank you to Yoshikazu Fujimoto and his wonderful workshops, and to Kodo staff and apprentices for doing their best to make our stay as wonderful as it was. Thank you to Joe for his assistance at the Apprentice Centre. And thank you to the 20 participants from the U.S., Canada, Australia and Brazil. Each KASA/MIX is different, but each one is special and a life-changing experience. The highlight of course was the time spent at the Kodo Apprentice Centre high in the beautiful mountains of Sado Island. Toni eloquently sums up:

"It is amazing how, in four short days, 17 kenshusei and Kodo staff can affect your heart and soul and renew your spirit and energy towards taiko. I have been on 4 of the 5 KASA/MIX trips and it happens every time for me -- each trip is different and wonderful in its own way. Yoshikazu-san shared his wonderful spirit and love of taiko with everyone, and I hope we can express his spirit from our hearts as we play taiko for ourselves and others."

KASA Workshops and Concerts with Yoko Fujimoto--July 2010

Travel brings new experiences that shape our perspectives, creating each of our own stories. At the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, Kodo's Yoko Fujimoto shared the stage with Derek Nakamoto, record producer and keyboardist who has worked with artists such as Michael Bolton and Keiko Matsui. They shared stories of how their individual experiences traveling the world have influenced their interpretation of music. Thank you to Koji and JANM for a fun time sharing songs and stories with adults and kids!

Thank you to the wonderful presenters and homestay hosts in northern California -- Alameda, Sebastopol and Sonoma. Special thanks to Janet Koike and Maze Daiko for sharing the stage with Yoko for two nights at Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda. Wonderful concerts with packed audiences of family, friends and community. And to top it off, a celebration for Yoko's birthday! (See photo below) Happy Birthday Yoko!!

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 Black, 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.