Feel the beat resonate, every step of the way

This winter, Kodo is excited to present a brand new collaborative work with Korean drum (Janggu) performer Choi Jaechol: Mountains. Following its premiere in late November, this production will tour in Japan through until late December. We hope you’ll come and experience it firsthand at the theater.

● Director: Yuta Sumiyoshi
● Featuring: Kodo (Kenta Nakagome, Shogo Komatsuzaki, Yuta Sumiyoshi, Jun Jidai, Ryoma Tsurumi, Reo Kitabayashi, Yuta Kimura, Yuki Hirata, Kei Sadanari, Sho Nakatani, Moe Niiyama, Jumpei Nonaka) and Choi Jaechol
*Cast may be subject to change.

According to Korean drum performer Choi Jaechol,
“Journeys create rhythms.”
I wanted to work with Choi and explore this idea together.
Folk music around the world goes hand in hand with movement.
You can see it in the nature of music and dance.
Moving your center of gravity up and down, gently and suddenly, tensing and relaxing your muscles.
Back and forth in loops of opposites.
Taiko is an instrument that works really well with a physical approach.
Kodo has three pillars that support its performances: physicality, musicality and spirituality.
Through this collaboration, I want to create a new, profound production from the ground up that deepens our roots and further cements these pillars.

Yuta Sumiyoshi, Director

Choi Jaechol | Korean Drum (Janggu) Performer
Born in Osaka in 1979 and raised in Tokyo, Choi Jaechol is a 3rd generation Zainichi Korean—Korean living in Japan. His performances are centered around Sol Janggu (solo performances of Korean drums) and span a broad range of music scenes, stretching beyond the boundaries of folk, traditional, and modern music. Along with Korean drum performances, Choi also composes music and writes lyrics. His activities to date have included producing music for a TV commercial campaign promoting Shiseido cosmetics (2008), a collaboration with Butoh dancer Min Tanaka, and more. In 2009, Choi launched Chango Walk, a journey-centered initiative that brings people closer to Japanese and Korean culture. He has walked thousands of miles, beating his drum and seeing how the journey informs his lifestyle and rhythms. Choi’s journey to date has included: the fifty-three stations from Tokyo to Kyoto along the Tokaido route (2009); Kyoto to Hakata (2010); Tokyo to Seongju in South Korea (2015); up and down Mt. Fuji (2016); along the Sanriku coast in Northern Tohoku (2018); and a lap around Sado Island (2021).
The mountains, rivers, roads, and roadsides all serve as inspiration, which Choi expresses in rhythms, dances, and songs.

Photo: Takashi Okamoto