Heritage

Taiko can be translated to mean traditional Japanese drum music, a particular drumming style, a drum ensemble, or a drum itself. The percussion instrument is made from a hollowed out log (usually of Zelkova, Sen, Camphor or Tamo wood) with cowhide (and on occasion horsehide) stretched over the top and secured by nailed heads (Byo-uchi-daiko) or a steel ring and tensioned by ropes or bolts (Shime-daiko).

While archeological digs have unearthed evidence of people in Japan's Jyomon Period using drums as a communication tool or as an instrument for religious rituals, historians believe that the taiko closely related to its modern form migrated its way across the Asian continent from India 1,500 years ago.

Once the taiko reached the shores of Japan it soon became an integral part of Imperial court music, religious ceremonies, and later Noh plays, Kabuki theatre, and local festivals. A performance at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics brought taiko to the international stage where it has remained ever since.

The creation of the taiko ensemble performance - Kumi-daiko - is surprisingly new. Jazz drummer Daihachi Oguchi, inspired by the western drum set, formed a group in the early 1950s in which each player beat a different type of taiko. For example, a high-pitched Shime-daiko established a basic rhythm while a Nagado-daiko added accents similar to a bass drum. Today the group KODO is the most famous of the thousands of taiko ensembles giving performances around the globe.

What many have enjoyed seeing and listening to for centuries from the point-of-view of the audience is now something that can be experienced first-hand throughout Japan.

Classes at the Taiko Centers in Tokyo's Asakusa district and Kyoto's Shimogyou-ku are particularly accessible to non-Japanese speakers. On any given day visitors can pick up a pair of bachi (taiko drum sticks) and join businessmen and businesswomen, housewives, grammar school students, and others from all walks of life and social strata in creating great vibrations, Japanese style.