Someone once said to me, “Don’t feel secure. There’s someone better than you out there.”

I realized that every time one event finished, I felt a sense of relief.

Somehow, I got really angry when I heard those words.
Angry at myself for knowing that I felt secure and just carried on like that anyway.

I strongly felt the truth in those words when I was on tour with “Michi.”
You can’t afford to rest on your laurels, because the moment you think “I nailed it,” you’ll find another obstacle right in front of you.
The next obstacle is often like a big wall that you can’t see past. So you never know how big the following obstacle will be; all you can do is face the one right in front of you.

Lately, I’ve been spurred on by this kind of insecurity, as I tried to climb up and over each new wall.
Sometimes I’ve had to go back to the start line, sometimes I got knocked down.
One thing is for sure: I’ll keep climbing. I wonder how far I’ll go.

That’s up to me, right?
Bring on the next challenge!

Thank you for supporting our two-month “Michi” 2018 Japan Tour!

Just when I thought the extreme cold wave had ended, I heard that much of Sado Island was now without water. It’s been chaotic here for many days. Amidst trying circumstances, we have been rehearsing at Kodo Village for our upcoming Egypt performances. It will be Kodo’s first time to perform there and when we arrive in Egypt, that will mark the 50th country Kodo where has performed to date.
Director Tomohiro Mitome is leading the cast of nine for these performances. You wouldn’t think it was just nine people by the number of pieces and rich content. Tomohiro said to us, “It’s a tough program, but let’s enjoy ourselves.” And with that, our rehearsals began.

The cast features a lot of young performers, so while the rehearsals were very lively, they also made us reaffirm that we have our work cut out for us each time we appear on stage.

We had a tight rehearsal schedule with only one week to practice. The stage manager, Kazuki Imagai, who is a former Kodo performer, told us that, “Even if there is no time, you still have to do everything properly.” The senior Kodo members gave us strict, clear instructions and our rehearsals steadily progressed.

I have been practicing hard as I imagine the unknown land where I am heading. It’ll be everyone’s first time visiting Egypt. I wonder what awaits us over there…

Feb. 9 (Fri) & 11 (Sun), 2018 Kodo Select Ensemble Appearance in “Japanese Drums Concert” (Egypt)

The climax of our new production with Tamasaburo Bando, “Yugen,” features five colorful beasts. Two Kodo members appear in this role alongside Tamasaburo Bando, Jusuke Hanayagi and a Hanayagi dancer. They are Kengo Watanabe and Kodai Yoshida.

The picture below is of Kodai Yoshida (Kodo), Jusuke Hanayagi (center), and Kengo Watanabe (Kodo), backstage at the Nagoya performances.

And here they are again, transformed into shishi (beasts).

They look forward to seeing you at the theater for “Yugen”!

Tamasaburo Bando x Kodo Special Performance “Yugen” (Japan)

We are pleased to announce that all five of the premiere performances of “Yugen” at Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo were sold out. Thank you very much to everyone who came along!
Next, we will share Yugen with audiences in Niigata and Nagoya. We look forward to seeing you at one of the theaters below very soon.

• 2017.05.26 (Fri) – 2017.05.28 (Sun) Niigata Prefectural Civic Center, Niigata City
• 2017.05.31 (Wed) – 2017.06.02 (Fri) The Theater, Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, Nagoya, Aichi

Sneak Peak at “Yugen” on Stage

Photos: Takashi Okamoto

Tamasaburo Bando

　Masayuki Sakamoto (Kodo)

Hanayagi-ryu Dancers with Kodo

Tamasaburo Bando with Hayato Otsuka (Kodo)

From left: Kodai Yoshida (Kodo), Masakatsu Hanayagi, Tamasaburo Bando, Jusuke Hanayagi, Kengo Watanabe (Kodo)

Tamasaburo Bando

Tamasaburo Bando x Kodo Special Performance “Yugen” (Japan)