Greeting from Kodo Ensemble Leader Yuichiro Funabashi

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you all for your ongoing support of the Kodo Group.

Every day, we see news of natural disasters, conflicts, and infectious diseases. These crises have completely changed the daily lives of people living in those areas. Our main activities center around creating and sharing performances, traveling the world with taiko. But these days, many aspects of our work are no longer easy, or even possible, due to the global impact of these crises.

Since ancient times, drums—taiko–of some kind have been a part of life for most of humanity. Throughout our travels, we notice that when people come together and play drums, it creates an uplifting experience for all, regardless of differences in culture, language, age, or gender. The beats resonate within us and connect us on a primitive level. With everything that is going on in the world, taiko has great potential to make a positive difference.

Taiko playing is physical, and the sound we conjure is visceral. Nothing beats sharing and experiencing the sound of taiko live. We will continue exploring the possibilities of taiko as we share its resonant sound, connecting people through our performances.

Your appreciation for our work and your generous support greatly enable us to continue our mission. I kindly ask for your ongoing support and encouragement.

 

 

 

 

Yuichiro Funabashi
Leader, Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble

 

 

Please choose how you would like Kodo to use your donation from the options below.

① One Earth Tour Support

Kodo travels the globe with taiko under the banner “One Earth Tour,” hoping to foster a sense of community that transcends differences in languages and cultures through our performances.

If you are able to make a donation to help us continue our mission, we will gratefully accept any amount you can spare.
This will help us to continue our ongoing One Earth Tour, so we can keep connecting people all over the world with the sound of taiko.

② General Donations

Any donations we receive for general support will be used by our non-profit organization Kodo Cultural Foundation for its wide-ranging activities. If Kodo’s performances were likened to a garden, then the Foundation would be the roots of the plants growing there.

To learn more about Kodo Cultural Foundation, please visit this page.

③ Apprentice Training Support

At Kodo Apprentice Centre, we strive to provide a curriculum and daily lifestyle that nurtures every apprentice’s personal growth. Along with practicing taiko, their everyday routine includes cooking, cleaning, doing farm work, and fostering connections in the local community. Kodo believes that these experiences forge the foundation of each performer, which becomes evident in each beat they play on stage. Their lifestyle develops their sound—and is essential to Kodo’s sound. While some graduates become Kodo performers, others set off on different paths, using their skills to connect people in a wide range of fields on Sado Island, throughout Japan, and around the world. Graduates to date are thriving in diverse sectors such as education, tourism, regional development, social welfare, agriculture, and the performing arts sphere.
At present, we are undergoing maintenance at Kodo Apprentice Centre to enhance the environment where our apprentices live and train, making it a better place to foster their physical and emotional well-being. The Apprentice Centre curriculum is designed with more than shining on the Kodo stage in mind: it cultivates a zest for living that helps people live life to the fullest in modern society. We kindly ask for your support to help Kodo Apprentice Centre continue to offer its holistic training programme, and enable the next generation to unleash their potential.

Donation Methods

A. Credit Card
Choose your preferred option from the three types below: 

 

B. PayPal or Bank Transfer
1. Fill out the Kodo Donation Details Request form.
2. Receive an auto-reply with links to make one-off, monthly, or annual contributions by PayPal, and our bank account details.

Donation Tax Benefit (Deduction) for Donors in Japan

If you live in Japan, you can receive a tax deduction for up to 40% of your donation.

Individuals can receive a tax refund when they include the donation in their income tax return.
(Total donation amount – 2,000 yen) x 40% = Individual donation tax credit amount
Please see here for further details. (Available in Japanese only)