Interviews
First taiko performance in the United States (Japanese)
(Japanese) I found there was a Bon Dance at the Long Beach Buddhist Temple in the “Rafu Shimpo”. I quickly went down there. There was yagura (wooden platform) and taiko with a Nisei or Sansei…maybe Nisei man sitting on a chair placing the taiko like this and hitting on it like this. I asked him, “let me play.” He said, “No.” He just wouldn’t let me play. So, I kept bugging him and bugging him persistently. Eventually he must have gotten tired. He relented and said I could play. I removed everything, like the speaker and the chair, everything around there, then started to play. After I began to play, I noticed that the dancers were looking up at me on the top of yagura and stopped dancing. I wonder if I did something wrong or my taiko didn’t follow the rhythm. I listened to the music carefully, but my taiko rhythm was okay. But everybody on the ground was looking up the sky. I also looked up the sky wondering what is up there to see, while I was beating on the taiko. Then when the music was finished, there was a sudden loud applause. Well, as I figure, the folks were surprised by my Tokyo-Style Bon dance taiko playing, which they have never seen.
Date: April 1, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
Explore More Videos
Happi coats in taiko
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Traditional taiko style
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Dedicated to the frontier spirits
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
American influences on Japanese taiko
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
Taiko is a reflection of where you live
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
Playing traditional gagaku while creating an identity
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
Taiko as self-expression
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Defining a Taiko player
(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.
Decision between becoming a minister or musician
(b. 1949) Musician and arts educator and adminstrator.
Japanese American taiko is not Japanese taiko
(b. 1949) Musician and arts educator and adminstrator.
Parents didn't accept me playing taiko in the beginning
(b. 1949) Musician and arts educator and adminstrator.
Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)
(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist