Taiko

Taiko is a modern art form, originated from the 1950’s counterculture movement after the American Occupation of Japan ended. As it spread to America in the 70’s, it soon became an art for expression in the Japanese American community. Since then, thousands of Taiko groups have been formed throughout the world, known as the “Taiko Boom”.

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I started playing Taiko with the Dublin Taiko Group in Dublin, Ohio from sixth grade until I graduated high school. Since the group was started by Hayashi Eitetsu in 2003, we played his compositions Senno Kaikyo, Umi no Hojo, and Michi wo Yukuhito. The group often hosted workshops from other taiko stars including Shoji Kameda, Masato Baba, Eien Ishikawa, Kris Bergstrom, Joe Small, and more.

After graduating high school, I went to Columbia University where I played with Columbia University Taiko. I served as President and Artistic Director from 2018-2020 and directed the Columbia Fall Taiko Festival in 2019 and 2020. During this time, I composed “Hyakujyuu no Ou” as Columbia Taiko’s first original piece and debuted it at the 2019 East Coast Taiko Conference.

While in college, I also played with the Osuwa Style group, New York Taiko Aiko Kai from 2017-2020. There, I learned most of the repertoire of Osuwa Daiko, along with that of Hiro Kurashima, the director of the New York Suwa Taiko Association and Taiko Masala.

I’ll try to write about taiko here in my blog.

Compositions Link to heading

Hyakujyuu no Ou Link to heading

A Columbia University Taiko piece.

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A work in progress Odaiko piece based on Childish Gambino’s Sweatpants.

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A piece I wrote for Jiten Daiko in Fall 2021. Watch it on Youtube