Waiwai Taiko

On Monday evening, I tried out another taiko group: Waiwai Taiko. Waiwai Taiko is located near Kokura station in Kitakyushu. They recently participated in the famous Kokura Gion Taiko festival held every year in July. Unfortunately, I was not in Japan to attend. I heard about this group from Hugh, a new JET who lives in Yahata. He and Adam, a new JET from Australia, have been attending practice for about a week or so. I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what this group was all about. I was told in advance that this group practices on “sideways” drums. “It’s controversial,” Hugh added facetiously.

The three of us met at Kokura station and walked down the main boulevard for several blocks until we reached a concrete NTT building. “Here we are!” Hugh exclaimed. Hugh made a quick phone call and someone inside the building buzzed us in. I felt like we were part of a covert operation. We walked through metal doors and down a flight of stairs to the basement. In the basement was a small, enclosed office space with two taiko drums in the center that were elevated on wooden stands about shoulder height. Not what I was expecting at all. So the story is that a member of Waiwai Taiko works for NTT and received permission to use the basement in the evening for practice. Who would have known such a thing was happening in the middle of a major city?

There were about 6 members of Waiwai Taiko present and 5 foreigners including Adam, Hugh, and me. Everyone was very welcoming. I watched the members run through song and then I was invited to jump in. This was my first experience playing matsuri (festival) drumming. My understanding of how you typically hit a taiko drum went right out the window. There are always four people playing the drums at one time. The two people standing on one side of the drums play a steady beat while the two people facing opposite them play a more complex rhythm. Members freely rotate between each position while a chosen member plays the chapa creating lively atmosphere. Instead of maintaining a fixed stance, your body is constantly moving in matsuri drumming. As you are playing, you have to continuously shift your weight forward and backward, almost in a rocking motion. It is also my understanding that you typically stand on the left side of the drum and always strike the drum with your left hand first. I did my best to mirror the person in front of me. One of the members took the time to coach me on the side while I waited my turn. Although I had a great time with Waiwai Taiko, I will probably not continue going to their practices. Since I live in the inaka (countryside), the commute to Kokura is about 1 hour 15 minutes by train. :/