Taiko is a special art form, not only because it’s unmistakably loud and vibrant, but also because it’s created by groups of people working together who depend largely on oral tradition to share the art form. Taiko practitioners may have known this for years, but the Taiko Mapping Project allowed the larger community to Read More
Shawn Bender was part of the first wave of taiko scholars, completing his dissertation in 2003 on tradition and modernity in kumidaiko. Building upon this ground-breaking work, in 2012 he published Taiko Boom: Japanese Drumming in Place and Motion the first – and to date, only – scholastic book in English about taiko performance. An Associate Read More
From July 2005 to January 2006, the Japanese American National Museum was home to “Big Drum: Taiko in the United States.” Curated by Sojin Kim and opening while the 2005 NATC was held in Little Tokyo (Los Angeles, CA), this multimedia exhibition chronicled the growth of kumidaiko in the United States through the presentation of Read More
CORRECTION: This version corrects an earlier version that incorrectly listed Kenny Endo and Kaoru Watanabe among the list of founding personnel for kaDON. Taiko pedagogy entered a new era in 2014 when kaDON was founded by Yoshihiko Miyamoto, Aya Yoshida, and Shoji Kameda. Powered by Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten, kaDON offers classes by celebrated artists like Read More
Asano Taiko has always been a strong supporter of the North American taiko community, and in 2013 that support was taken to the next level when Asano Taiko US opened its doors in Torrance, CA. The facility is also home to Kato Taiko and the Los Angeles Taiko Institute. By hosting workshops, seminars, and special Read More
Just 5 years after they were founded in 2000, TAIKOPROJECT won the adult group division of the 2005 Tokyo International Taiko Contest. They were the first American group to ever win in this competition. After playing the assigned piece “beat Essence” required of all competitors, they performed “Expanding” and “Omiyage.” This feat introduced Japan to Read More
At the first NATC in 1997, Duane Ebata, then Program Chair of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC), challenged attendees to start their own regional conferences. The first meeting to come from that challenge was the Regional Taiko Gathering. Held every two years since 1998 at various sites across the Pacific Northwest and Read More
For a select few attendees at the North American Taiko Conference each year, the excitement that comes with traveling to the gathering is accompanied by a little bit of nervousness. They come to NATC not just to take workshops and shop in the Marketplace, but also to play for their taiko family friends with public Read More
Started in 2001 by Janet Koike as the Rhythmix tour and renamed KASA/MIX in 2003, this project of Kodo Arts Sphere America has taken eight groups from around the world on a tour of Japan, including a stay at the Kodo facilities on Sado Island. By bringing together taiko players from around the world, the KASA/MIX Read More
Workshops dominate many participants’ time at the North American Taiko Conference. Out of the 25.5 hours of activities currently scheduled for this summer’s gathering at the University of California San Diego, 12.5 hours (49%) are workshops! Of course, participants at past conferences have listed the workshops as one of the major reasons for attending, so Read More