Kodo’s friend Johnny Wales, a Canadian illustrator and Sado Island resident, passed away on September 6.

Our connection with Johnny dates back to the 1970s—the days of our antecedent group Sado no Kuni Ondekoza. Over the years, Johnny worked with Kodo in diverse roles, including interpreter, translator, stage lighting director, illustrator, photographer, editor, and wood carver.

As we remember Johnny today, we pray that he rests in eternal peace.

About Johnny Wales

Illustrator, animator, wood carver, puppeteer, writer.

Johnny Wales was born in 1953 in Toronto, Canada.
He graduated from Toronto University with a Bachelor’s degree.
In 1975, during his first trip to Japan, he visited Sado Island, where he was introduced to Kodo’s antecedent group Sado no Kuni Ondekoza (below Ondekoza). It was also during this trip that he met Bunya Ningyo puppet master Moritaro Hamada.
After returning to Canada in 1976, Johnny supported Ondekoza’s first Canadian tour as the group’s production manager.

From 1977 to 1978, Johnny lived on Sado, studying the art of Bunya Ningyo puppet theater.

In 1984, Johnny joined the Kodo cast and crew on its inaugural “One Earth Tour” as their lighting director and interpreter. The now legendary tour lasted half a year and visited 10 countries and regions.

In 1985, Johnny married Chieko Yoritate, a Tokyoite he met in Italy while touring with Kodo. They moved to Sado Island together where Chieko joined the Kodo staff, working in the office.

In 1987, Johnny became the first editor of Kodo’s English newsletter The Kodo Beat (published until spring 2011). That same year, he illustrated the poster for the “Kodo Special Memorial for Toshio Kawauchi” performance on Sado Island.

In January 1989, after living on Sado for three years, Johnny returned to Canada with his wife Chieko.

In Canada, he illustrated six children’s books, one of which—Gruntle Piggle Takes Off (Viking Children’s Books)—was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Illustration in 1996, Canada’s top literary award.

In 1995, Johnny returned to Japan, where he lived in Tokyo and worked as an illustrator and picture book author. He started holding solo exhibitions of his artworks and began painting scenes of Tokyo for a column in the metropolis’ edition of The Yomiuri Shimbun (newspaper), a series that continued until his last painting was printed on September 11, 2024.

In 1998, Johnny participated as a puppeteer and interpreter when Sado’s Bunya Ningyo puppet troupe Saruhachi-za was introduced at the Edinburgh Festival as part of a Kodo Cultural Foundation initiative.

After 11 years away, Johnny moved back to Sado Island in 2000. Alongside his role as the chief editor and writer of The Kodo Beat, Johnny contributed to Kodo eNews (2009–2013), Kodo’s blog, and its Japanese newsletter as a photographer, illustrator, and interviewer. His artwork appeared on the cover of Otodaiku’s catalogue in 2000, and he illustrated the covers of Kodo’s Japanese newsletter four times a year from 2000 through 2010.

In 2010, Johnny created masks for the Kodo Ubusuna performances, which he carved from a paulownia tree grown at Kodo Village.
After moving several times on Sado Island, Johnny and Chieko eventually settled in Kaizuka, along with their Akita dog, Kyla.

Johnny thoroughly enjoyed living on Sado Island. He adored Sado’s culture, and was loved by his many friends there. Johnny took great joy in upcycling antiques and incorporating them into his everyday life and creative projects.

Website: www.johnny-wales.com (English & Japanese)