What is Taiko?

The Japanese word “taiko” (tye-koh) means drum. The Japanese have used the drum for many reasons. Hundreds of years ago the taiko was used to determine the boundaries of the village. A village was as large as the booming sound of the drum would carry.

The drum was also used in battle as military music, to give courage to the samurai warriors, and to intimidate the enemy. Taiko is also found in other areas of Japanese culture. It is used in various types of theater, and is one of the main instruments in the music of the Imperial Court.

Taiko plays an important part in Japanese festivals, or matsuri (ma-tsoo-ree). Farmers played the taiko believing that its thunder-like sound would bring rain for their crops. Fishermen played the taiko to ask for a good harvest of fish. At other festivals the drum is played to dispel evil spirits, ward off sickness, or give thanks for prosperity.

The drum is believed to have a kami, a spirit of its own. It is associated with the changing of the seasons, the cycles of nature, and the celebration of life.