Defining a Taiko player

Celebrating traditional Japanese New Years with family Learning Japanese at school and at home with family Developing an original kata Introducing Taiko in Vancouver The philosophy of playing Taiko Defining a Taiko player

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Mr. Asano from Asano Taiko told us, when he invited us to Japan, he said to us that he thought San Jose Taiko was really interesting for him because we were able to kind of embody some of the spirit of Taiko that he felt even groups in Japan did not have. It was hard for him to kind of explain that to us and maybe hard for us to understand him Japanese and what he was trying to say. But it was an interesting comment that he made that basically he felt that because Taiko was becoming so popular even in Japan, that the philosophy and the spirit of playing has just been lost. It’s become just an instrument. So even for a Taiko maker, “What is a Taiko player?” is the big question.

Date: January 26, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

asano asano taiko identity music san jose taiko taiko