Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2012
In its 25th year, Earth Celebration is one of those hippy happenings whose reputation strays outside national borders. However, despite its high proportion of gaijin visitors, the quasi-religious ceremonial nature of it is uniquely Japanese. Distinct from many of the season’s other fests, it’s the showcase for just one headliner. But the act is worthy of center stage: Kodo is a multilayered ensemble of drumming professionals at the peak of muscular fitness and—as legend has it—spiritual harmony.
This year was distinct from those gone by, with each of the three nightly Kodo concerts atop the Shiroyama hill directed by different luminaries. Friday night’s artistic director Shogo Yoshii delivered a classic rabble rouser that warmed up guests for the weekend to come. Famous kabuki onnagata (female impersonator) and virtuoso dancer Tamasaburo Bando put on his internationally acclaimed Dadan on the second night. It was a divisive show for many of the EC regulars. In the words of one, “I [insert expletive here] hated it.” And you could understand why—it was a massive departure from the inclusive bombast of the normal drumming show. No women were included, and the Adonis-like performers were coated in Vaseline and glitter. For first time EC-ers however it was a fascinating theatrical approach, though the far-and-few intense rhythmic crescendos left us wanting a little more of the high-octane bursts. The third night’s show, directed by Kodo’s Yuichiro Funabashi, was back to the familiar format with a twist—world-renowned shamisen player Hiromitsu Agatsuma collaborated for the first time to bring these two ancient Japanese arts together.
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Photos by James Gunsalus
After the concerts and at assorted times during the days there are various matsuri going on in the streets of Ogi, and the mixture of locals and visitors trying out their dance steps in the street is an exhilarating ride. Part of the festival’s offerings are a number of workshops where you can learn some traditional Japanese dances and instruments, though you have to pay extra and a roomful of amateur noisemakers can do damage to your ears. During the days assorted acts play on the stage at the Harbor Market, but don’t be expecting wall-to-wall stimulation a la Fuji Rock and other affairs. Many punters speed off to discover the island with rented cars or bikes, and walking along the coast led us to a craggy bay where the sea was warm and happily free of the local jellyfish. It was also fun to stroll through the streets of Ogi where the festival is held, with plant-lined streets, fugu in the canal and bizarre houses cobbled together from assorted boarding. Nevertheless a high point was the performance in the marketplace of Ovo Novo, a samba group made up of kids from Iwaki in Fukushima. The pulsating performance, directed by accomplished musician Ryo Watanabe, had us leaping insanely in spite of the scorching sun.
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Photos by David Labi
At the market was a host of artisanal stalls and some wonderful cafés and restaurants among the grilled dogmeat stands to be found in matsuri everywhere. A favorite was Indian curry from some lovely Okayama folk, and a stall selling kaki gori with natural flavors (fig, ume, mango milk, etc.), killer mojitos, and the tasty local Echigo ale on tap. The stalls, workshops and small-stage performances had the kind of cultural entrepreneurship you don’t really find at the more gig-oriented Fuji Rock, and which you do at the UK’s Glastonbury Festival which inspired the Naeba event. It made one wonder if Earth Celebration could run their own field at FRF and add more of a Japanese cultural element to proceedings.
But for now Earth Celebration is found purely on Sado Island where it has been for 25 years. Though the journey is awkward—mostly thanks to sparse ferry times—the rhythmic transcendence and stunning natural setting make it worth it. And the ferry even contributes to the magic. On the way there we were regaled by a group of thundering school kids battering the taiko in the small interior event space (elderly folk who had elbowed their way to the front before the show ran for cover). En route home a breathtaking sunset bathed us in golden light and smoothed the edge of our return to urban mundanity.
