History of Taiko

Taiko is the art of Japanese drumming. In Ancient Japan, the Taiko drums were used to direct troops in battle, in religious ceremonies and to define the borders of towns. The size of a town was often determined by how far away the thunderous Taiko could be heard.

In the 1960's Sensei Seiichi Tanaka brought Taiko to North America by establishing the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. Since then, Taiko has grown and become more popular with many groups in California and across the United States. There are also several groups on various university campuses.

Taiko drums are traditionally made out of hollowed tree trunks and cow hide and are held together by traditional Japanese metal nails.

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