Taiko × Neuro Dance Collaboration Session for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) 2025

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, we hosted a major event for patients with Parkinson’s disease visiting Sado from off-island, along with their families and the accompanying medical specialists.

The program welcomed 12 participants with PD, 8 family members, 10 occupational and physical therapists, 3 participants with PD from Sado, one occupational therapist and one care facility staff member from Sado, and 11 Kodo staff members.

The day began with Exadondoko!, followed by a lecture on “Rehabilitation for Parkinson’s Disease.” After lunch, everyone enjoyed a collaborative session combining PD (Neuro) Dance and taiko drumming.

Because PD symptoms vary greatly from person to person—such as difficulty maintaining balance, shuffling gait, challenges walking smoothly, decreased mobility when medication wears off, involuntary movements, and emotional lows—managing daily health is extremely demanding.However, during the dance-and-taiko collaboration, participants naturally began to move their bodies, inspired by the sound of the drums and by mirroring one another’s spontaneous dance.

In the climax of the session, participants moved freely to the fast rhythms of the taiko, and the desire to dance transformed into beautifully expansive movement. Before we knew it, many had been dancing continuously for quite a long time. During the improvised taiko-and-dance portion, participants with PD, their families, medical staff, and Kodo members all joined in together. The energy soared, and the room was filled with joyful smiles.

Participants traveled from Fiji and from many regions across Japan (Fukushima, Chiba, Shizuoka, Tokyo, Tokushima, Osaka, Kochi, Hyogo, Kyoto, Yamagata, Nara, and more). They also fully enjoyed sightseeing on Sado, creating many memorable experiences before heading home.We felt strongly that the presence and support of the accompanying specialists were essential to making this event possible.

A special highlight was the participation of three individuals with PD from Sado. Since Sado Island does not have a local patient support group, we are glad that this event may have helped create even a small opportunity to ease the sense of isolation that patients sometimes feel.

Organizer: PD Dance & Exadondoko!

Location: Sado City, Niigata Prefecture

Venue: Sado Island Taiko Centre (Tatakokan)

Instructors: Masami Miyazaki (Kodo), Tomohiro Yonetani (Sado Island Taiko Centre Taiko Instructor)

Participants: Individuals with PD, their families, and accompanying staff

Total Participants: 35