Kodo Taiko Group Drummer Makes Homecoming Debut in Iwate Pref.

By Mari Matsumoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:03 JST, July 17, 2025

OSHU, Iwate — The pounding of taiko drums reverberated throughout a hall in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, in mid-June as renowned taiko drum performance art ensemble Kodo performed for its Japan Tour. For Hana Ogawa, her debut with the group was also a homecoming.

Having been recognized as a full member about a year ago, 23-year-old Ogawa showed off her elegant drumming technique in the middle of about 15 members at Oshu City Bunka Kaikan Z Hall on June 14. She and the group captivated about 900 audience members, including her family and friends, with their powerful drumbeats.

Kodo was founded in 1981 and is based on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. The ensemble has performed over 7,500 shows in 54 countries and regions. The group also performed at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo in April.

When Ogawa was a third grader in elementary school, she began playing the taiko at a local school after a friend invited her. She first saw Kodo perform live during her second year at Hanamaki Higashi High School. She was deeply moved by the sound of the taiko and the performance as well as the members’ demeanor, which made her want to wear their hanten jacket and perform with them.

After graduating from high school, Ogawa moved to Sado to live on her own and enrolled at Kodo.

During her two-year training period, she devoted six days a week from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. to practicing the taiko, singing, dancing and running about 7 kilometers. She also cultivated her senses through learning tea ceremony and noh, and built up her lower body strength through farm work.

In 2022, she became an associate member to accompany Kodo’s tours. Students usually practice as an apprentice for a year before being selected as an official Kodo member. However, once one year passed, Ogawa was told that her apprenticeship would be extended.

The leader, Yuichiro Funabashi, said that her performance was “textbook-perfect, but lacked individuality and was unremarkable.” His point puzzled Ogawa, who thought, “I’m giving it my all, so what else can I do?”

While seeking advice from her colleagues, she realized something. Her eagerness to keep up with her seniors had taken the expression away from her face on stage and during practice. By trying to smile instead of aiming to be perfect, she gradually began to enjoy her performances more.

After about four years since joining, she was selected as a regular member in January 2024, fulfilling her long-held dream. At the long-awaited homecoming show, she performed six pieces.

“I was nervous, and it felt like the show finished in a moment, although I’ve done the same performance elsewhere,” she said.

Ogawa’s friends and acquaintances came after the show to tell her things like, “You looked great!” That made her happy as she could show them her efforts and progress.

Ogawa said she is determined to stand on the world stage while spreading knowledge of taiko in Iwate Prefe