Earth Celebration (EC) began in 1988 as a celebration of the opening of Kodo’s homebase, Kodo Village, on Sado Island. In the Kodo Village prospectus, we expressed our feelings regarding Sado Island as follows:

“Originally mankind was part of nature, breathed with nature, lived together with her. Since we settled on Sado Island, nature’s voices– the songs of birds and insects in the fields, the whisper of the trees in the wind, the sound of the waves breaking on the rocks– have seeped inside us, unseen. They have become the starting point for our creativity. We remain with Sado as the base for our lives because there is space for both nature and us to live together.”

It’s hard to believe a quarter century has passed since then, but this year marks the 25th anniversary of EC, a true milestone for the group and for all of you who have helped make the festival what it is today. We invite you to create this year’s EC with us, exploring the full potential of this festival as we consider the significance of holding it on Sado Island where EC first began.

At the main events, the Shiroyama Concerts, Kodo will perform three different performances on an outdoor stage surrounded by Sado’s natural splendor. We will invite Hiromitsu Agatsuma, who continues to explore both tradition and innovation through the Tsugaru Shamisen, and together we hope to make the sounds of Japan resonate across the globe.

This year, there will be a special stage set up in the bustling Harbour Market, with performances by Kodo and a rich array of other artists adding color to the “garden of Earth Celebration.” The workshop lineup will offer both past favorites as well as new opportunities for participants to experience the history, nature, and culture of Sado Island.

I hope you will all come to create your very own Earth Celebration experience. We look forward to seeing you again this year.

EC Executive Producer Atsushi Sugano 
(Kodo Cultural Foundation Managing Director)