Interviews

1. Taiko as a family tradition

2. Obon and the community

3. Taiko from the old days

4. Taiko as a family activity

5. Participation in community events

6. The multicultural perspective

7. Focus on peace

8. Mothers and Taiko

Fukumoto,Kay

(b.1960) Third-generation taiko drummer, leader of Maui Taiko

The multicultural perspective

I think it’s more of a personal perspective because depending on where you are—maybe generationally. Here I am a fourth generation Japanese American on my father’s side. But, my mother having come from Japan, I’m sort of first generation from her side. So, I think whenever I compare myself to my peers and my friends, I’m very into Japanese culture, I think, because of my closer tie to Japan. And we still have relatives in Japan through my mother’s side. So, for me, community can be my Japanese American community. But I think in most contexts, it’s the multicultural community. Here, it’s so multicultural. I don’t think we’re as segregated in thinking because it’s multicultural. There’s a lot of marriages between the different nationalities and ethnic groups. So, we’re all blending.

Date: July 9, 2004

Location: Hawaii, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Kay Fukumoto, of Maui Taiko, continues a multi-generational family tradition of playing taiko at local, annual Obon festivals that began with her grandfather and great-grandfather and now includes her husband and son. Though the Maui Taiko group was formed officially in 1996, it has been operating informally on Maui, Hawaii for over 100 years.

In 1970, at the age of ten, Kay was the first girl to be allowed to play the taiko at an Obon festival on the island of Maui. She now leads Maui Taiko, which plays at 16 different temples during the Obon festival season. In 2001, she coordinated a trip for the group to perform taiko in Fukushima and Hiroshima, Japan. (July 9, 2004)