On the morning of the day of the Hamo Grand Market ( 'Marcus' Bread' and'Bunya Puppet Performance '), which we introduced earlier, we found a leaflet in the waiting room of the Ryotsu Port Terminal that caught our attention a little.

Handwritten leaflets with a warm welcome.

Tatakokan is the Sado Island Taiko Centre run by the Kodo Cultural Foundation. It is located in the Sado Ogi area, Kodo's base of operations, and is a facility where you can experience taiko drumming. I've only heard about it, but I've never been. If we were going all the way to Hamo, we decided to stretch our legs a bit and go to Fukaura, where the Tatakokan is located.

It's snowing heavily, but there are lots of people.

Despite the heavy snowfall, the area is quite busy!

This is the first time I have been to Tatakokan. The location is a 20-minute drive from Ogi Port. It is near Kodo Village and the old Fukaura Primary School. Ogi Fukaura also had a fair amount of heavy snowfall, but the car park was already full and we had to park in a temporary car park a little further away.

In fact, the Tatakokan Festival requires an entrance fee. (¥800 for adults, ¥500 for children and free for pre-school children).

It's not a celebrity event, but it's a paid event, and yet it's so popular. Is this the strength of Kodo's popularity? Also, many people take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the rarely offered 'taiko experience'. (By the way, you can also apply to experience taiko on a regular basis by yourself, although reservations are required in advance.)

The source of admission is also handwritten.

Pay the entrance fee at reception. You receive a handwritten admission ticket with a very "dusty" feeling. This is securely laminated.

Wood from Sado Island is used, and the museum's interior is generally bright and warm.

Wood from Sado Island is used, and the museum's interior is generally bright and warm.

The hall is also very busy.

In addition to events, the hall also hosts a variety of goods on sale, from pesticide-free vegetables, natural yeast bread and textiles to Kodo goods.

Original large drums handmade by the Taiko Performing Arts Group Kodo.

Anne Grandpa's travelling restaurant.

On the second floor, in the "Traditional Cuisine Experience Room", a restaurant by Un Grand Pas from Sawada is open for business. The restaurant is also busy with stylish lunches using Sado ingredients. In the next room, visitors can make their own advent calendars and New Year's decorations.

Mini drumming experience begins!

Back in the hall, the 'Shin-chan Sensei's Mini Taiko Experience' was just about to start. This is a programme that makes use of Kodo's accumulated experience and is usually 60-90 minutes long, but is shortened.

Mini drumming experience

It was open to everyone, young and old, male and female. It looked like a lot of fun to watch.

This was followed by a presentation by the 'Kodo Cultural Foundation Community Development Course Interns'.

The Community Development Course Apprenticeship is a system designed to train people who can utilise the experience and know-how that Kodo has cultivated in the nature and culture of Sado Island for regional development, and two apprentices are currently learning and experiencing various things in the Ogi and Misaki areas.

The presentation was not formal, but very easy to understand and enjoyable, and the audience joined in with the presentation to learn about the various nature and culture of the Misaki area.

This was followed by a performance of barrel drums by the energetic sister group 'Ane-taru' from the Sumiyoshi area. There were more events to come, but we had other plans, so we left the Tatakokan with our hair in our backs.

Taiko drumming experience in Niigata City

Yes, it has been decided that the "Shin-chan Sensei no Taiko Experience" will be held in Niigata City in February!

Date and time: 14th February, 27th Heisei (earth) (1)11:00～ (2)13:00～

Venue: Hotel Mets Niigata

Number of applicants: 15 for each session, 30 in total (will close when capacity is reached).

Participation fee: 3, 000 yen (free for CoCoLo members).

How to apply: fill in the application form in the CoCOLo information magazine Voyage, which is available in the CoCoLo Niigata and Nagaoka buildings, and post it in the application box.

Shop information

Tatakokan, Sado Island Taiko Experience Exchange Centre.

• 150-3, Ogi Kanada Shinden, Sado, Niigata, Japan
• Official website: http://www.sadotaiken.jp/Facebook page