by minon_admin | Jun 25, 2019 | Cultural Exchange, Japanese Arts, News, Outreach, Overseas Dispatch Series, Performing Arts
From April 10 to the 24, the Maidaiko Asuka Gumi was dispatched to Taiwan, where it performed nine times in five cities, including Taipei, and also at one school concert. During the show, the breathtaking, overwhelming power of Japanese taiko drums and soul-stirring...
by Peter | Feb 28, 2014 | Japanese Arts, News
Japanese people who were born and raised in outlying areas of Japan outside of the major metropolitan areas typically have a particular song that is familiar to everyone from that area, and on hearing it usually gives rise to nostalgic feelings for their hometown....
by Peter | Feb 28, 2014 | Japanese Arts, News
The koto is considered a national musical instrument of Japan. It has 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the wooden body, which is some six feet long. Its origins can be traced back to the Chinese zheng, which was first introduced to...
by Peter | Sep 4, 2012 | Japanese Arts, News, Performing Arts
Hanayakara The islands of Okinawa are surrounded by beautiful ocean and blessed with a superb natural environment. The islands were once a small independent nation called the Ryukyu Kingdom, where since ancient times a unique culture had developed with distinctive...
by Peter | Dec 12, 2011 | Japanese Arts, News
Taiko drummer from Asuka Gumi Maidaiko Asuka Gumi, one of the most acclaimed professional Japanese traditional taiko drum troupes, triumphed in its 20th anniversary concert at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo on December 9, 2011, following a yearlong nationwide...