Transforming the everyday from Monochrome to vivid color

Sharing the sound of taiko to Shine a Light

And herald a future brimming with Luminance

Kodo has been touring the globe under the banner “One Earth” for over four decades, giving over 7500 performances in 50 countries and regions around the world to date. Our mission remains the same: to connect myriad cultures and ways of life by reminding people of our common bonds as human beings. This ongoing journey has taken us from places of wonder—stellar concert halls and renowned festivals—to places of struggle—outdoor stages with neighbouring slums, and audiences of refugees who fled across borders from the horrors of war. Everywhere we go, we strive to bring people together through the resonant sound of taiko.

In Luminance, we will share signature pieces that Kodo has honed through decades of world tours, including the mighty O-daiko drum solo and climactic Yatai-bayashi finale. We will pay homage to Maki Ishii’s masterpiece Monochrome, celebrating its 50th year in 2026, and present new works born from the encounters and ideas of current Kodo members, inspired by the sights and experiences of their global travels with the ensemble. For the first time in decades, we will also feature original compositions by guest artists from a range of genres—musicians we’ve connected throughout our journey.

We hope the sound and energy we conjure in Luminance will keep radiating outwards, making the world a brighter place tomorrow.

This tour forms part of the Kodo 45th Anniversary Concert Series. We look forward to celebrating our milestone with you all in Europe in early 2026.

KODO “LUMINANCE” PROGRAMME TIDBITS 1. Shine a Light Sets the Scene 2. New Taiko Inspired by Stride 3. Collaboration Magic Condensed into E from “Oni” 4. Monochrome Turns 50 5. How Monochrome Came to Be 6. The Origins of Miyake and Kodo’s Adaptations 7. When Demon Scales Appear, Good Luck Follows 8. Electronic Music Meets Kodo and Sado in Ten-Ten, Games 9. O-daiko: Why the Big Drum has Black Swirls 10. Taiko-powered Carts, Driven by Yatai-bayashi 11. Encouraging Everyone to Give Taiko a Go

 

Director

Yuki Hirata

Cast

Jun Jidai
Ryoma Tsurumi
Reo Kitabayashi
Kodai Yoshida
Seita Saegusa
Shun Takuma
Kei Sadanari
Moe Niiyama
Junpei Nonaka
Kazuma Hirosaki
Hana Ogawa
Shizuku Katsube
Toji Harada

Sep. 16 Update: All performances for this tour have been announced.