KODO

Now, I had written a big, waffle-filled blog entry about how good the taiko group Kodo are, but then I realised that it went on so long that even I got bored reading it. Much better to whack in a few pictures and a video (having killed the radio star, it may see the end of the blogger, too). So, what you see below is the edited highlights, le crème de la crème, if you will…
I have had many great experiences while in Japan and there are many wonderful annual events and festivals here. However, the one thing that I really look forward to each year is the Earth Celebration Festival on Sado Island (about three hours by ferry from my home town of Joetsu). The festival takes place over three days every August and people travel from all over the world to enjoy the combination of art and music. Drumming is the dominant feature of the festival and I have many happy memories of sitting drunkenly on a warm beach, unsure if the drumming is in my head or if it’s coming from the people sitting around the camp fire. Cloudy was here for the festival last year and had a great time – he’s got the scars to prove it! The organisers of the festival are the Japanese drumming group, Kodo, whose training centre is on Sado Island.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival, so all the stops are being pulled out. There are stalls, workshops and live performances around the port town of Ogi, but there are performances each evening from Kodo and their invited guests. Last year it was a dance group from New York; the year before it was a bagpiper from Spain – which was awesome, believe it or not – you had to be there, man! The evening show on the Sunday night is one of the most atmospheric experiences I have had. The stage is set in a forest clearing on a hill behind a shrine. The humidity and sounds of the forest really add to the experience. And then the drumming starts…
Kodo performed in Joetsu last Wednesday and I had to go and see them. This is the fifth time I have seen them, but I once again I was left wanting more. The video clip should give you a small insight into what they do. It’s truly breathtaking stuff.
Speed. Timing. Power. Endurance. These four words sum-up what Kodo are about, but they are much more besides. Kodo use many different drums and drumming styles. For me, the most exciting is Miyake-style. Miyake is one of the seven volcanic islands south of Tokyo and there is an annual festival there based around this drumming style (taiko drumming is often used as a gift to the gods in prayer for a safe year and a bountiful harvest).
This style involves three two-sided drums set low to the ground. Two drummers play each drum, one at either side. Due to the height of the drums, the performers must maintain a strenuous crouching position with the drum set off to their right-hand side. As they play they transfer their weight from one foot to the other by straightening and bending either knees. This movement affords them maximum power in each stroke. The drummers take it in turns to beat a basic rhythm while the other breaks into powerful, martial-art-esque drumming pattern. Each stroke begins at the bottom of the feet and then explodes through the end of the drumstick (bachi). Following each stroke, the bachi is drawn back either in front of the body or up behind the head to enable the fullest strike possible. From these positions, with a subtle transferring of weight, the drummers unleash unstoppable blows one after another. Then, at the signal of the lead drummer at the back of the group, all six men go to town.
The timing is impeccable and form is crucial to that. This synchronised routine is amazing to watch. This is not men thrashing aimlessly at a drum to make a lot of noise, every blow is choreographed and the look of pain in their faces is genuine as their muscles start to burn. The effect that these six men create makes you wish you had six pairs of eyes to take everything in.
The most awe-inspiring performance is made on the o-daiko – “the big drum” (sorry to demystify the language for you). It is big. The drum was carved from a single tree, weighs over 800lbs and is four feet in diameter. Sat atop a cart, two men play the drum – one beats out a basic rhythm, while the main drummer improvises. The drum is raised such that the drummers stand in a semi-crouched position and play the drum above their heads. The thunderous sound generated from this massive drum is astonishing. The low, powerful sound shakes you to the core. During his performance, the drummer’s bare back transforms into a knot of muscle and sinew.
He passes through phases of intense drumming followed by softer movements where he sets a mood of suspense and recovers his strength for the next onslaught. Once this performance is finished he jumps down off the cart and begins another 10-minute piece with five other members – this time in a half-sit-up position with his feet hooked around a smaller taiko drums. I have nicknamed him “The Beast.” The endurance he shows is unbelievable. My arms got tired applauding for their encore, so whacking above you head at a huge drum with a pair of rolling pins for 15 minutes is extraordinary.
It is a musical performance, but the visual element is crucial. Listening to a CD, one might imagine a solitary drummer tapping away, improvising as he goes. The reality is that you have two, four, eight or more people working together with split-second timing to make the sounds you are hearing. Whereas one might expect a live performance from their favourite artist to be less than perfect and different to the post-production CD version, with Kodo you get far more from a live performance than you could ever get from a CD.
All Kodo apprentices train at the groups Sado Island centre day in, day out, for two years before they can perform for the public. I’d love to join Kodo, but you have to have fluent Japanese and a semblance of musical talent. I don’t know which is further from my grasp!
Sorry, I was going to edit this, but I didn’t – you got le crème, le crème de la crème and all the all the leftover bits that nobody wants. If you’ve read this far, you need to get out more.

Let's eating!

I’m getting old. We have a new school lunch lady at my Junior High and she has introduced a feedback system where students and staff can tell her what they think of the food. Today’s lunch was rice, “spring rain salad” (which has some lettuce, cucumber, ham and clear noodle-like things in it), a tofu-based plate of stodge (it’s lovely stuff, but stodge is the best descriptor I could think of) and a carton of milk. When asked what might make this meal better, I said “maybe a little bowl of soup on the side…”. The students said “a pudding would be nice!” It never even crossed my mind. There was a time when it would have been an almost reflexive response. “How can you make this jam sandwich better?” “Add some chocolate cake?” “This black pudding is a bit dry, what shall we do?” “Put a little cream on top?”
Things have been a bit fishy of late. Out of my last six school visits, I have had fish five times (I've been hopping between three different school lunch schedules). The photo is of my lunch at Hari Elementary. It’s shishamo, rice, wakame seaweed salad, a potato and konyaku soup and a carton of milk. All the kids get the same and nobody can bring a packed lunch. Shishamo is where the line is drawn for many foreigners. They are about 15cm in length and resemble a willow leaf, apparently, hence their Japanese name means "willow leaf fish." They are grilled or deep fried whole, often while full of eggs (ko-mochi-shishamo). It used to freak me out a little when I arrived, but I’ve gotten used to it – eating the skin, head, tail, eggs, brain and bones of something is a good monthly challenge for me.