The Ondeko-za on Sado

The 'Ondeko-za' is an extraordinary group of young Japanese who have exiled themselves to virtually complete isolation on Sado Island in the Japan Sea in order to preserve and/or recreate various Japanese folk arts, especially so-called 'demon drumming'. Shinoda's documentary provides a good deal of useful background information about their motives and the range of their activities. Founder/leader Tagayasu Den turns out to be a veteran of the '50s student riots, and many of the 17-strong group are dropouts or otherwise alienated kids; it's clear that the strenuous physical discipline of training for and performing in the Ondeko-za programme provides all of them with more constructive solutions to contemporary problems than most self-willed exiles achieve.