Almost a year has passed since the launch of Kodo Taiko School. This new initiative is an online school where Kodo performers share the skills and knowledge the ensemble has developed over the years. We conducted a trial course with Cohort 0 in 2021, and currently we are heading into the final lessons of the Cohort 1 course.

I initially felt out of place when I found myself in a teaching position at this early stage of my performing career. Already, I can honestly say that facilitating these courses has become one of the richest learning experiences of my lifetime.

When the trial course began, it took a lot of time and effort for the Kodo Taiko School instructors, who are all Kodo performers, to come up with clear ways to explain what we experienced and gained through our training at Kodo Apprentice Centre. It’s challenging to put into words what we learned back then, and what we think and feel as performers now. Kodo doesn’t have a uniform kata (style of taiko playing, or set form), which made this challenge even more complex. At Kodo, we all strive to create the best sound possible. We acknowledge that everyone’s body is different, so we always keep in mind that how we play differs from person to person.

The instructor team approached this particular challenge by surveying a number of Kodo performers, and noting the similarities between us. In particular, we sought guidance from Eiichi Saito, the pioneer of Kodo-style workshops, and from Tomohiro Mitome, who frequently teaches taiko players within Kodo and from other teams. We also talked to various guest instructors who teach at Kodo Apprentice Centre and asked for their advice.

Our conclusion was that the Kodo method could be defined as the act of playing taiko in the most natural state possible. As Kodo members, it’s an individual quest to find our most natural state and to create the best sound possible. We strive to do that through our daily training. 

Kodo Taiko School is a place where students can join us on that journey. Every lesson is led by a Kodo performer who explains things in their own unique way. Because we teach a course as a team, you get insight into a range of individual perspectives and approaches, all with the same end goal—achieving a natural state to create optimal sound. I think that’s one of the things that enriches our courses.

Teaching, in my own words.

I am a member of the instructing team, and I also double as an English interpreter for the lessons because I grew up in the United States. But I often struggle to find the right words. It’s hard to interpret Japanese terms and concepts that don’t have literal English translations, or will not make sense in English in a particular context. Especially on the spot.

For example, the first roadblock that every Japanese-English interpreter probably bumps into is “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.” This common Japanese greeting can be literally translated into “best regards,” but in certain situations, it’ll mean “please share your knowledge and advice with us,” or “kindly do a favor for me,” or something else. 

Here’s another example. In Japanese, futokoro is a word that explains the space in front of your chest. But it’s more than a word; it’s a concept that changes depending on the activity you’re doing. So it’s different for martial arts, tea ceremony, and taiko. Trying to explain it in one word in English isn’t possible. I needed way more words each time. 

(Side Note: I wrote this blog in Japanese first without considering the difficulty of translating into English. The struggle is real…)

With each passing week, I learned how to explain things better. Interpreting for the senior members allowed me to process their thoughts in my mind twice; once in Japanese and again while I was searching for the right English. While listening to their explanations, I drew on my own knowledge and experiences to find the words I needed.

Interpreting for Cohort 0 Guest Instructor Eiichi Saito

Interpreting for Cohort 1 Guest Instructor Tomohiro Mitome as he explains how to apply the fundamentals of taiko playing to Odaiko (big drum) playing.

But there were still things that I just couldn’t explain concisely. Not just while I was interpreting, but when I was teaching as well. I eventually realized that I had trouble explaining certain concepts, simply because I didn’t know enough about them. A wise man once said, “if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” This quote hit home. Lesson learned.

With Instructor Team Leader Yoshie Abe. We’re working hard to forge meaningful connections with all the students.

With Shogo Komatsuzaki, talking about physical conditioning. At Kodo Taiko School, all the instructors perform on the Kodo stage, so you get to hear practical advice from a performer’s point of view.

For me, getting to experience how the senior members approach and explain this art form firsthand is really inspiring. When I interpret for my fellow instructors, it feels like a VIP experience because I get the chance to go inside their head and take a peek at their way of life, through their eyes. I feel so lucky to have this chance.

This chance comes with a sense of responsibility. I believe it is my duty to share their experience as accurately as possible with taiko enthusiasts all around the world. 

Yoshie Abe (left) and Jun Jidai (right) will be Cohort 2 instructors, too. Join them and participants from around the world! Cohort 2 starts in May 2022.

Cohort 2 of Kodo Taiko School will begin in May 2022. During this course, I am scheduled to be touring Japan, so I won’t be able to participate in the same way as I have to date. Instead, I’ll be on stage, giving it my all and making most of what I learned through Cohort 0 & 1. 

Kodo Taiko School alumni: I hope you’ll come to the theater so we can meet up in person. If you can join us, see you soon!
Kodo Taiko School future students: It will be one of the richest taiko experiences of your life, guaranteed. I’m looking forward to hearing how you get on!

Kodo Taiko School – Online Information Sessions (Pre-Cohort 2)

Kodo Taiko School Cohort 2

Kodo Taiko School

Roots of Kodo is a new live-in workshop aimed at people from abroad. The inaugural program was nine days long, held on Sado from Sep. 10 through 18.

This idea for this project all started in Europe during a workshop tour I planned in 2017. I met so many energetic overseas taiko players on that tour who were very eager to learn.
I heard people from various countries say they wanted to study (taiko) way more seriously and they wanted to train at Kodo Apprentice Centre, if possible. So I wanted to give them the opportunity to do that. That’s how this program came about.

Kodo is constantly seeking new forms of expression with taiko, and so are people who play taiko abroad. They are also always wondering what is possible and looking for new inspiration, too.

After careful consideration, I felt that rather than try to teach them what Kodo’s way of expression, if I shared the roots of what we, Kodo, value as a group, then that might be the best way for each of them to move forward in their own pursuit of genuine taiko expression.

I could prepare that environment for them and create an optimal opportunity for them to learn.

And I’d already learned how to do just that through my experiences at Kodo Apprentice Centre.

So I devised a program that included all the things that I considered to be Kodo’s roots: making your own meals, cleaning, creating a schedule and living by it together, figuring out time for training, devising practice methods, discussing things…and more.

The program was not just about taiko training. It also included dance, tea ceremony, taking part in a local festival, agricultural work, and other activities. When I made a list of all the fundamentals of our group, there were so many things other than taiko that I was unsure if it would even make sense to the participants.

Each and every participant came with an active approach to learning and the desire to make the most of the program. I think the program worked because of their attitude.

I kept asking myself if all these activities were necessary for simply playing taiko, and I made a real effort not to just gloss over things by saying “In Japan, we do this” or “That’s just the way it is.” By being thoughtful about every element, what was actually important became clear and it was regardless of any country or culture. I discovered things every day… perhaps I ended up learning the most of anyone from all the questions and reflection.

Once it was over, I realized that getting answers is not the purpose of this program

What people got were “seeds.” Those seeds were cultivated on Sado Island, within people just like this, within a history of time spent just like this.
And Kodo is the “flower” in bloom, which grew from those seeds.

How the Roots of Kodo participants raise the seeds we gave them is up to each one of them. We know seeds grow differently according to factors such as the soil where they are planted, if they get sunlight or not, and if you give them water or not. I think the best way to raise seeds differs from place to place. I wonder what kind of flowers will bloom from those seeds in each participant’s country in the future.

I hope the message of “ONE EARTH” will spread around the world through these seeds and flowers, to connect us all someday.

To all the participants and staff involved, thank you so much.
I am excited about what lies ahead!

This program not only features an exclusive time at Kodo’s Apprentice Centre with the apprentices, but also gives a chance to experience the beautiful nature of Sado and the craftsmanship of Kodo and the Japanese culture.
This year, we had participants join from a record breaking number of 7 countries with 22 people representing all over the world!

We had people from the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Italy, Germany, and Singapore, all with unique taiko experiences and loads of energy.

The trip began in Kanazawa, where we all did some sightseeing together. Next we visited Asano Taiko for a tour of their workshop space, and we also took some lessons on mini-taiko making and Odaiko taught by Akemi Jige.

Then, we traveled to Sado Island and headed to Kodo Apprentice Centre.
Even before meeting the KASA/MIX participants, the Apprentices seemed very nervous and worried as they were not necessarily confident in their English language and communication skills.
But all of those worries blew away once everyone arrived, of course, because there was so much joy and excitement filling the air!

Three nights and four days were spent at the Apprentice Centre, and the workshops were conducted by Kodo’s performing members.

Yoko Fujimoto’s Voice Circle brought everyone’s voices and energy together.

And Tomohiro Mitome’s odaiko bachi making and taiko basics workshops gave everyone a better sense of craftsmanship and the way we play taiko.

Yoshie Abe’s katsugi okedo workshop not only showed the basics of playing this particular style, but to also how to move around elegantly with the drum.

And lastly, Yoshikazu Fujimoto’s odaiko workshop gave everyone time to play on the large drums with all their might.

During the program, KASA/MIX participants ran with the Apprentices every morning…

…and experienced the great nature and fresh air of Sado that surrounds the facility.

We played games together, and ate meals together like a big family.

For the Apprentices, cleaning time may have been a dreaded activity in their daily schedule, but doing their chores together with KASA/MIX participants made them much more fun.

At night, we had KASA/MIX participants share their stories and experiences of taiko in their home country.

Since this was many of the apprentices’ first time to be exposed to taiko outside of Japan, this was a valuable time for them to learn what is out there in the broader world. We also had one-on-one conversation sessions where the apprentices did their best to communicate in English and use body language to talk to their new friends from abroad.

Activities like these make KASA/MIX so special, and create a remarkable experience for the apprentices, as they overcome language barriers and connect with everyone through taiko and heart to heart.

Taiko may have come from Japan, but it is also now a worldwide sensation.

As “taiko” continues to grow globally, I feel that KASA/MIX also grows as a program along with it. KASA/MIX helps our future Kodo performers make friends all over the world, even before they make their debut as a performing member.

KASA/MIX is only offered once every two years, which means that the apprentices only get to experience it once during their two-year apprenticeship.

This experience has definitely opened up many opportunities for these young adults, and we truly thank you all of you who took part in the program this year.
It was so much fun, and we really look forward to seeing you all again!

See you again soon!

Please follow KASA (Kodo Arts Sphere America) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kodoarts/
For those of you who are interested in participating our next KASA/MIX, please email kodoarts@earthlink.net to register your interest.

Yui Kamiya, KASA/MIX Staff Member

Kodo Apprentice Centre
https://www.kodo.or.jp/apr

Gallery

“Kodo Juku” is a 4-day, 3-night live-in workshop at Kodo Apprentice Centre, surrounded by lush nature on Sado Island.
Eiichi Saito’s Kodu Juku Taiko Workshop began in 1992. Ever since, Saito has led these workshops with overt enthusiasm, sharing his passion for taiko and facilitating self discovery and new connections through this powerful resonant instrument.

At Kodo Juku, you’ll experience the daily life of Kodo apprentices. It promises to be a memorable escape from your usual life!

No taiko experience is necessary, just come along and give it a go.
We hope you’ll apply!

Apply for Kodo Juku 2018↓
https://www.kodo.or.jp/en/performance_en/performance_ws_en/10716

*Note: Workshop will be conducted in Japanese.

Here’s a picture with the Onikenbai workshop participants. Despite partying heartily the night before, you can see that they were all fresh-faced and ready for the workshop the next day.

And here I am with the Odaiko workshop group. Even after a party and the Onikenbai workshop, they didn’t show any signs of tiredness throughout the Odaiko workshop. Look at those smiles!

The workshops were presented by Mr. Ryuji Okamura and his mother. Mr. Okamura is a taiko performer and the owner of Gettoen. They run hula dance classes at their studio, too. Mr. Okamura is a former Kodo apprentice and ever since those days he has been a loyal member of our supporter’s club. I am grateful for his support!

After the workshops I left Gunma and traveled home to Wachi in Kyoto Prefecture. The rice was harvested here on Sep. 5th and our current harvest is in the form of collecting chestnuts in the mornings and evenings.

My next workshops at Gettoen will be held on Sunday Dec. 17. Nearby there is a hot spring that is run by Shinto Village and it costs 300 yen for a two-hour soak. So I recommend you come the day before and have a nice soak in the springs on Saturday. It is really good. And of course, you can spend the night at Gettoen.
I am looking forward to seeing you all at the workshops.

Inquiries & Bookings:
Okamura Store Tel: 050-3551-8107

The photo below was taken at the “Living, Learning, Creating” exhibition that Kodo’s Yosuke Kusa curated at EC 2017. My handmade drumsticks were part of the display.

The three pairs of bachi (drumsticks) from the left side of the photo (o-daiko bachi, shime-daiko bachi, Yatai-bayashi bachi) are all my handiwork. Further along to the right are bachi made by Kodo’s Tomohiro Mitome, Yuichiro Funabashi, and Kenta Nakagome. Everyone who came to this exhibition was allowed to pick up the bachi. I wonder what they felt when they gripped our handmade drumsticks in their own hands.

Here’s a picture taken at the entrance to the exhibition at Tennanso, where everyone was greeted by cheerful volunteer Shiho Takano. Tennanso is directly opposite Shiho’s family’s liquor store, Takano-ya.

Today I also want to let you know about my upcoming “Body & Soul Workshop” series, which will be held this weekend on Sep. 2 (Sat) & 3 (Sun) at Taiko no Sato Kyowakan in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward.

• Sep. 2 (Sat) 15:30–17:30 Body & Soul: O-daiko Workshop
• Sep. 3 (Sun) 11:00–13:00 Body & Soul: Onikenbai Workshop
• Sep. 3 (Sun) 14:30–16:30 Body & Soul: Wachi Daiko Workshop

Inquiries & Reservations: Taiko no Sato Kyowakan Tel. 03-3714-2774 (Hours: 11:00–17:30) 


Also, on Sep. 4 (Mon) I will lead an “O-daiko Workshop” from 19:00–20:30　at Asano Taiko’s Shinkyokan in Hakusan, Ishikawa.

Inquiries & Reservations: Asano Taiko Tel. 076-277-1717

I look forward to seeing you this weekend at my workshops in Tokyo and Ishikawa!