Exadon is an innovative fitness program with two main purposes: health promotion and preventive healthcare. Launched on Sado Island in 2014, the initiative is centered around enjoying taiko (traditional Japanese drums), performing arts, and physical activity. The name Exadon combines three words: “exercise,” “Sado,” an island in the Sea of Japan, and the sound of beating a taiko drum, “don.”

The program commenced with a trial session, which was attended by members of the Sado City Council of Social Welfare, taking part as monitors. Next, we sought participants from the general public on Sado Island and the first public Exadon workshop welcomed 29 participants. The 2014 launch also featured the inaugural "Exadon Supporter Development Course," which was conducted to increase preventive care in the community and raise awareness and support for the program. 

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In 2015, we held a second preventive care event "Exadon Supporter Development Course" and created a new course for senior citizens, "Exadon Taiko Classes," which served as a preventive care and public awareness initiative. Every participant had their physical strength and cognitive function measured at the first and last class of the course. At the beginning and end of each class, the participants were also asked to measure their blood pressure and complete health-related self-assessments, so we could track added content for flow data.

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Eating balanced meals is also important for dementia prevention, so Shiosai Clinic Assistant Director Dr. Takako Morimoto devised "Exadon Eats" as a dietary companion to the taiko (exercise) program. In 2015, our team ran the "Exadon Eats Idea Contest" to raise public awareness about good eating habits, share healthy recipes with the community, and gather menu suggestions from Sado Island citizens. The entries were judged by Exadon's creators and instructors and used to further develop the Exadon Eats menu.

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