“Hup DON DON!”: A Look at Taiko Culture Past, Present, and Future
by Diana Wu

Booming sounds resonating off the walls. People screaming with excitement and intensity on stage. The audience, fed with the energy from the performers, claps and yells along. All these are distinctive characteristics one would see when experiencing a performance of Japanese drumming, more commonly known as “taiko.” Around for many centuries, with antecedents in Chinese and Korean drums, taiko has played an important part in Japanese culture up to even today. Recently, taiko has expanded worldwide, especially in North America where taiko schools and collegiate groups are increasing in number all over the United States. A joy to play and watch for both the performers and the audience members, taiko continues to be a defining element in both Asian and Asian-American communities today.

What is “taiko?” Literally translated from Japanese, it means “great or wide drum.” Today, however, the word “taiko” can be used to refer to any of many different types of Japanese drums.

No one is exactly sure when in Japan taiko first made its appearance, since drums have been found in Asia for many years. However, the earliest written records of taiko date back to the Warring States Period, where they were heavily used on the battlefields for a number of purposes. When played on, the drums produced a loud thunderous boom that would frighten the opposing armies. Furthermore, because the sounds of the drums had such a long range, generals would also use them as a means for commanding their large troops.

In later years, taiko drums became prominent instruments in villages (as ways to warn of danger) and in temples, where they were considered holy instruments that only monks could play for ceremonies and religious activities. They were also incorporated in rituals to repel evil spirits and also to encourage rain for good harvests. In later periods including now, the taiko has continued to be an integral part of Japanese festivals, or the “Matsuri.” As the centerpiece, the drum is played by a single individual and people dance around in a circle, listening to the beats being played.

Nowadays, taiko has evolved into the more common ensemble form, also known as “kumi-daiko,” in which more than one drum is played with multiple performers. It is what most people see today as the typical “taiko group.” The post-war jazz musician Daihachi Oguchi is credited for being the first to practice the concept of playing taiko in an ensemble format. The story goes that Oguchi was asked to perform at a local temple, when the thought occurred to him that it would be interesting to try playing taiko in a set-up similar to jazz bands, in which there are many types of instruments all playing together. Using different sizes of drums and more than one performer, Oguchi essentially presented the first ensemble taiko performance, paving the way for the beginnings of future taiko groups. Oguchi later founded Osuwa Taiko and since then, has assisted over 200 groups all over the world to get their start.

During the post-war era, Western influence was greatly increasing in Japan. Concerned for the preservation of their own heritage, the Japanese government began to provide funds that would go to keeping Japanese culture alive. As a result, taiko ensembles began to form all over the country, including one of the world’s most elite taiko drumming groups of today: Kodo (鼓動). Based in Sado Island, Kodo has been a crucial factor in revitalizing taiko drumming, not only in Japan, but all over the world. The group consists of people who live together in a commune on a remote island and practice taiko tremendously day in and day out, thus producing incredible performances during their tours in Japan, Europe, and the United States.

Taiko soon made its way into North America due to the “grandfather of taiko:” Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka. During his stay in the U.S., he attended a Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco and saw that there weren’t any drums, which he felt was essential in these festivals. It was then that he realized that taiko had not yet been formally introduced into the United States. As a result, in 1968, he founded the very first taiko school in North America: the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. It is still one of the most famous taiko institutions in the world and has been responsible for being the place where many taiko players today have been inspired.

Thanks to the start of the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, many taiko groups soon began emerging all over the United States, particularly in Buddhist temples and especially on college campuses, with UCLA’s Kyodo Taiko being the first collegiate taiko group, established in 1990. Since Kyodo, more than 11 collegiate groups have begun in California alone, in schools such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, UCI, and UCSD. Every year, these college groups gather together at one of the school’s campuses for an annual invitational where they meet and learn about other taiko groups and the different styles played out there. It is a fantastic event and is always topped off by a grand performance in which every group performs their signature pieces.

As of now, taiko groups are still forming all over the U.S. even outside of the Japanese American community. Recently, Diana Wu, an alum of UC Berkeley Raijin Taiko, has made plans to start a taiko group at the Taiwanese American Community Center in San Diego. On Sunday, January 13, the walls of the Center shook as more than 23 drums resonated together with booming sound for over two hours at a community workshop held by Diana. The workshop began with performances by both UCSD Asayake Taiko and UC Berkeley Raijin Taiko and was then followed by a brief presentation on taiko culture. Afterwards, taiko sticks, or “bachi,” were distributed to the workshop attendees and Diana and members of Raijin and Asayake began instruction on the basics of hitting a taiko drum. The workshop attendees first learned how to hit a drum when it is in a slanted position. Then, Diana led everyone in a series of hitting patterns, as well as introduced another important element of a taiko group: the “kiai.” To “kiai,” is to basically yell out calls of encouragement in order to build energy and strong group dynamics during practices or performances. This led into a session where everyone was not only hitting a drum, but also screaming cheers for each other, thus building a high sense of energy in the room. The next portion of the lesson was dedicated to playing a drum when the face of it is in a flat position. The workshop was then topped off with Diana teaching a very short taiko piece written by Diana herself.

The day ended with everyone feeling happy and energized and it was then that Diana announced that she would be starting a group called “Naruwan Taiko (娜路彎太鼓)” at the TACC. Having had a great experience with taiko back in college, she wants to make this activity available to the Taiwanese community. Proud of her Taiwanese heritage, Diana hopes that the start of a taiko group will help assist in making the Center more known to the surrounding public, and also encourage increased youth participation at the center. As of now, Diana is still recruiting and welcoming anyone (no experience necessary) who would like to participate and learn to play taiko and perhaps be part of this new performance group. All ages and levels are encouraged to join. Practices are currently every Monday, 7 PM at the TACC. Please do come if you are interested or contact NaruwanTaiko@gmail.com.

Although primarily a Japanese art form, taiko has proven to be an enjoyable art for people all over. What is it about taiko that makes it so fun to watch? It has been said that the sound of the taiko drum is like the sound of our mother’s heartbeat when we were still in the womb, hence why people take such a liking for it. And what is it about taiko that makes it so fun to play? According to Diana, “It embodies so much! It’s physical, it gives you a chance to create and express yourself, it encourages teamwork, and most of all, it’s the ultimate stress-reliever to any tough, busy day.”

References:

"San Francisco Taiko Dojo." 9 Jan. 2008 <www.sftaiko.com>.

"Dictionary of Taiko Terminology." 9 Jan. 2008 <http://users.lmi.net/taikousa/dictionary.html>.

"UC Berkeley Raijin Taiko." 9 Jan. 2008 <taiko.berkeley.edu>.

"Taikoza." 17 Jan. 2008 <http://taikoza.com/>.

“Kodo.” 9 Jan. 2008 <www.kodo.com>.