Blog One—Japanese Drums

One of the most interesting experiences I had during my first semester at community college was having the opportunity to see a display by a group of Japanese taiko drummers.  It was a warm afternoon in early May, close to the end of the semester.  A few friends and I were about to go and get some lunch before going to our next class.  As we walked, we started hearing a low rumbling from the direction of the building we were walking towards.  The sound became more pronounced as we made our way up the steps, and as we opened the front doors the power of the drumming was almost enough to knock us all off our feet.

There were half a dozen young men and women assembled in the lobby of the building, each one standing in front of a large drum.  They were working up quite a sweat as they played, which was hardly surprising considering how much energy they were putting into their performance.  Each drummer was wearing traditional clothing, from colorful happi (short jackets) and patterned obi (sashes) to headbands and tabi (split-toed socks).  Fittingly, the headbands that they wore bore the Japanese symbol for “thunder.” 

My friends and I hadn’t heard anything about the performance, so it was actually a lucky coincidence that we were able to see these drummers in action.  The entire show only lasted about 15 minutes, but it was amazing to watch.  My friends and I couldn’t believe how perfectly synchronized the entire group was as they played and how powerful the sound of the drums was.  Standing right in front of the performers was incredible; you could actually feel each strike reverberating in your chest.   

After the performance, I was able to take a few photos and then we stopped to talk to the performers.  Between our conversation with the drummers and a little bit of side research, I was actually able to learn quite a bit about taiko drumming itself.  Taiko drumming has been around for centuries, but it has only been an ensemble art for about 50 years.  Both the instrument and the art of playing are believed to have been influenced by the Chinese, the Koreans, and possibly the Indians.  The practice came to the U.S. with Japanese immigrants in the early 1900’s, but there were no official practicing groups in place until 1968.  There are currently over 4,000 taiko groups performing in Japan, and there are a growing number of groups in the U.S.