August in Japan, despite the heat, can be a magical time: fireworks festivals light up the nights, bon odori dances attract yukata-clad revelers like moths to a flame, colorful kakigori shaved ices tempt you and the cooling waters along the coastline beckon. But on the butterfly-shaped island of Sado, August is something extra special, as for three days and nights, it is filled with the sounds of taiko drums, song and dance.
Earth Celebration is one of Japan’s longest-running music festivals, hosted by the globetrotting taiko performing arts ensemble, Kodo. For 38 years, this joyous festival of sound has brought music lovers to the island, which is just an hour or so by jetfoil from Niigata City.
Stepping off the jetfoil and driving to Ogi Port, where most of the festivities are centered, feels like taking a step back in time, and each time I feel like the pressures and crowds that are a part of my life in Tokyo fall away. Views of little fishing settlements, lush green forest and swathes of ocean roll past the window, helping slow my brain down to island time.
Once in town, the sounds of music and merrymaking from the Fringe draw you in, as do the wonderful smells and tempting treats from the markets. As the sun starts to sink, the sense of anticipation and energy in the air only rises, as it is time for the highly awaited Harbour Concerts.
Kodo is world-famous for good reason. Their performances are riveting, combining musicality with sheer athletic power and flights of genius, coaxing complex sounds from the deceptively simple-looking drums and flutes. Their dedication to their craft comes through in each performance, coaxing nuances from massive drums that sometimes reach over one meter in diameter. As a musician myself, I know just how difficult it can be to make a performance memorable and engaging, and listening to them perform under the star-filled night sky can be transcendental at times.
But perhaps one of my favorite things about Earth Celebration is that it goes beyond taiko, as each year the group invites musicians from around the world to perform at the Harbour Concerts, bringing together artists of all stripes through the power of music. When I last visited in 2019, Kodo collaborated with the acclaimed Korean percussion ensemble Kim Duk-Soo SamulNori. Feeling the drumbeats reverberate, rising up through my feet as the performers from both countries exultantly gave their all for the final piece of the evening, brought me to tears of joy and awe.
There is so much pain in the world, so many things to worry about, every morning more news which brings sadness. But Earth Celebration brings me back to a place of peace, where music becomes a thread that interconnects us, where people from around the world come together on Sado to share and support something truly special. It reminds you that there is still good in the world, there is still beauty to be found in dancing to drumbeats under the stars.
If you feel like a bit of musical escapism, Earth Celebration 2025 will be held from August 22 to 24. Special guests include el tempo, a group that uses over 100 distinct hand signs to create mesmerizing improvised music and performances, and reunions with Korean drum performer Choi Jaechol, percussionist Ben Aylon and Senegalese artists Aly Ndiaye Rose, Dourfal Ndiaye Rose, and Baye Dame Bou Yaye. For the best seats, opt for the Premium Area, where you can see the performers up close and personal!
Be sure to also check out the workshops, such as Exadon for All, which brings participants ages 9 and up together through feel-good taiko beats. Younger visitors can also play with sound at the Kodo x Eurhythmics workshops, available for children from 0 to 3 years old and 4 to 6 years old.