Exadon is a health-promotion program that incorporates Japanese taiko drumming to foster physical and emotional well-being.
Since 2014, the program has been developed by taiko instructors from Kodo, under the supervision of Dr. Yoshinori Morimoto, director of the Shiosaikai Clinic.
Through hands-on taiko experiences guided by certified facilitators, participants move their bodies, feel a sense of connection, energize their spirits, and address loneliness — one of the greatest health risks.
The program aims to reduce mental health challenges like anxiety and depression, along with physical issues such as frailty, locomotive syndrome, and metabolic syndrome.
Exadon workshops are held across Japan and beyond, making it easy and enjoyable for anyone to participate.
About Exadon
Exadon Initiatives
● Building Communities
We bring the Exadon program beyond the Sado Island Taiko Centre, visiting local neighborhoods, nursing and welfare facilities, educational institutions, and more to promote health and help prevent the need for long-term supportive care. By creating sound together, taiko fosters meaningful community connections.
● Collaboration with Healthcare and Welfare
We are conducting joint research with professionals in medical care, nursing, and welfare to prevent frailty— the decline of physical function associated with aging. Exadon was also featured as a case study in the 2023 White Paper on Aging Society published by Japan’s Cabinet Office, highlighting its impact in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture.
● Exadon Facilitators
Certified Exadon facilitators, trained through our official facilitator course, lead Exadon programs across Japan and internationally.
Our Mission to Create Fortresses of Inner Peace
Dr. Yoshinori Morimoto, Director, Shiosai Clinic
I moved to Sado Island for my work in 1997. That same year, I saw the taiko performance group Kodo for the first time at the island's annual music festival, Earth Celebration. I recall thinking the Kodo performers were like musical athletes who love traditional culture. Nowadays, Kodo is more like a crew of trustworthy sailors accompanying me on a sailing ship, sent out into unchartered waters.
Since 2014, Kodo Cultural Foundation and I have been working together on Exadon. The objective of this initiative is to create fortresses of inner peace. The topic of dementia and preventive healthcare is tied to aging, ailing, dying, and overcoming suffering in life. I call this suffering "the war within." Distancing oneself from the war within and attaining inner peace takes wisdom and courage, which have universal value for humanity. I want to take everyone on a journey to discover inner peace through interactions with the body, nature, and person to person.
Exercise routines, fun mental activities, and social activities all offer effective prevention and emotional support for various illnesses and disabilities, not just dementia. Traditional performing arts, and in particular taiko drumming, encompass all these components. With its universal design, taiko is an instrument that can be enjoyed by young and old, and people of all abilities. I believe that Exadon will cultivate new taiko culture that brings inner peace to people from all walks of life, connecting generations and communities.
By thinking globally and acting locally to resolve specific issues in our community, Kodo Cultural Foundation and I want to help people build fortresses of inner peace. We believe this will strengthen Sado Island as a whole.
PROFILE | Dr. Yoshinori Morimoto
Dr. Morimoto was born in Ehime, Japan, and graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine. He is a board-certified psychiatrist and also holds designations as a mental health physician, dementia support physician, occupational physician, and sports doctor. Dr. Morimoto has been collaborating with Kodo Cultural Foundation to develop and promote the Exadon program.
