The Art of the Drum: FINAL REFLECTIONS ON JAPAN

(Note: This is my final post on my experience in Japan. My apologies that it is a bit disorganized, but I had many topics I wanted to include…)

It is amazing how quickly the past few months in Japan have unfolded: I am still in disbelief that my time here has come to an end. I still feel it is remarkable how fluidly the past few months have gone: I have seen some incredible performances, met some truly wonderful people and had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country.

In all honesty, prior to my arrival, I knew very little about taiko. I am so pleased that I was able have a logical progression in my study of Japanese drumming and drum crafting. It just worked out so well that I was able to build my way “up:” that is, I first learned about taiko through the students at the university – and thus was able to begin to appreciate the dedication it takes to study taiko. Then, I was able to learn about the instrument itself, while visiting the Asano Taiko factory. Next, I went to Sado Island and got my first taste of Kodo, and began to understand the spiritual relationship between taiko and nature. Lastly, I attended several Kodo performances: as excellent as the Shien (the group from the university) were, simply put, Kodo is the most talented taiko group in the world. I am sure that I would not have appreciated the tremendous level of musicianship of the Kodo performers if I had seen the three shows in October. Albeit I, admittedly, did not plan to have such a logical progression, there was a seamless evolution to my research here in Japan.

(Not to mention that along the way, I also have had other “drum and percussion” experiences, such as the Ainu traditional music concert, the fire festival at the Buddhist temple in Kyoto and the djembe workshop).

Indeed, the initial parameters of this research fellowship sought to focus on the “spiritual essence” of drumming and drum crafting. Of course, the idea of “spirituality” is a very broad and rather ambiguous concept: thus, throughout this year, I have intended to concentrate mostly on the drumming and drum crafting within the religious institution. That being said, during my stay in Japan, I did focus more on the “spiritual essence” of taiko.

Without a doubt, taiko does have a place within Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines; yet, I have learned that in these situations, the drums are more ornamental than essential to the religious service. That is to say, in Fiji and India, for example, the tabla often has an explicit function within the prayers and rituals. In Japan, that tends not to be the case.

During my visit to Asano Taiko, the most famous Japanese drum company, it was interesting to see the differences in crafting of a taiko for religious and non-religious purposes. While Zen Buddhism greatly differs from the various other sects of Buddhism throughout Japan and it is not fair to associate all forms of Japanese Buddhism with Zen, I would have anticipated that because Zen (and to a lesser extend, any form of Buddhism in general) emphasizes minimalism and simplicity, taiko drums used in the temples would be the very plain. On the contrary, the taiko drums employed in various Buddhist rituals and prayers almost always have very intricate designs and are painted in an array of colors. To be honest, I am not sure what all this means, but it is somewhat intriguing, and I would have never hypothesized this.

Speaking of the drums themselves, I am really disappointed that I did not buy a drum while in Japan, but the circumstances were not ideal. The truth is that most of the taiko drums are so big and played in such a different technique than Western drums (taiko is played with your whole body, whereas Western drums are supposed to be played only with wrists and fingers), that there would not really be a point of me owning one.

I did find an amazing taiko, beautifully painted black and gold (picture below)…but it was over $3,000 without shipping! I think it is still possible that I will order a taiko from Miyamoto or perhaps even Asano, pending the price is right, and more importantly, that I would actually use the drum.

Yes, that is real gold-leaf.

One memorable experience that I have yet to write about was I visited John Lennon Museum in Tokyo. What is so awesome about this fellowship is that I have an infinite flexibility in my program: the John Lennon Museum has nothing to do with my research, but it represents another facet of my greater interest in music. It was one of the most interesting museums I have ever visited; a truly comprehensive and enlightening experience. In all honesty, George Harrison has always been my favorite Beatle, followed by Paul McCartney; and, even though I have always loved John, I developed a new, profound respect for him not only as a musician but also as a human being. He truly was one of the most important people of the 20th Century. I definitely dig his philosophy of diplomacy through music, even if it oversimplifies the solution to world peace.

So, again my apologies for the frazzled nature of this post; it is very hard to sum up how wonderful my experience in Japan. I cannot wait to go back! I would like to give a BIG thank you to Noriko Fuku, Professor Tagaki, Nobu, Kyoko (Nobu’s mom), Noda Satoru of Shien, Rei, Yuki, Gen Matsui and Atsushi Sugano of Kodo, and Sumiyo Asano of Asano Taiko. I’m sure I am missing some people, so sorry about that!

Lastly, for almost two months, I was living with one of Noriko’s students, a really great guy named Nobu, and his mother, Kyoko. There is a small temple/shrine attached to their house, and here are some pictures from it.