(Japanese) As I look around after 30 years of taiko playing, I see all kinds of taiko groups sprouting up and playing without any identity as Japanese style taiko. If we don’t do something to cope with this trend, these (unidentifiable) taiko styles might become mainstream. If I am asked what is an authentic Nikkei taiko, I would have a hard time explaining or defining it myself, you know. But then, I would like to see some of the players who take this taiko more seriously. I’m saying that they shouldn’t play just for fun, but I still think they should spend more time for practicing. With a little bit more practice, I’m sure the quality would improve tremendously, although they may not be aware of it. But then, I suppose you could have some kind of contest. That would provide lots of incentive for the players to practice in earnest and also think of other ideas and would really upgrade the groups’ performance.
Date: April 1, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
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