Our First North American Taiko Taikai!

Hey everyone! This is Kyle Abbott, Arthur Mok, Walter Nishinaka, and Adam Weiner. Together, we're putting on our first official North American Taiko Taikai in Little Tokyo (Terasaki Budokan).

Reward Tiers

Before we get further, let us share the fabulous rewards we're offering to show our appreciation for your support!

Note: Higher Tiers Include Lower Tier Rewards

Tier 1 ($1 - $49)

Mention in "thank you" Instagram Posts

and on the Website Donors Section

Tier 2 ($50 - $99)

Mention in the event program

General Admission (Taikai Viewing)

Tier 3 ($100 - $199)

Combo Admission (Taikai Viewing + Concert)

Tier 4 ($200 - $499)

Taikai T-Shirt

Quarter-Page Ad in Program

Tier 5 ($500+)

Upgrade to Half-Page Ad in Program

Your Name Calligraphed on Lantern by Kuni Yoshida (displayed at the Taikai)

What is a Taikai??

Very briefly, it’s basically a Japanese tournament which encourages participants to focus on building their fundamental skills, and then join together to show their best efforts to a panel of veteran taiko players! Rather than anything with a “competitive spirit”, Taikai are incredibly motivating for players, as knowing they will be demonstrating their skills to the panel gives them an intense drive to hone their skills!

Example of Taikai (Tsugaru Shamisen Taikai)

What’s more? That paragraph only scratches the surface to the incredible time that is had at Taikai, so read further below!

The Judge Panel

We are so lucky to have an incredible panel of five veteran taiko players as judges for our first NATT!

1. Ringtaro Tateishi (Ondekoza & more)

2. Tiffany Tamaribuchi (Sacramento Taiko Dan & more)

3. Isaku Kageyama (Amanojaku & more)

4. Karen Falkenstrom (Odaiko Sonora & more)

5. Joe Small (Eitetsu Fu-Un no Kai & more)

Each judge brings a wealth of taiko experience and different perspectives to the judging table.

Composition from Yoshikazu Fujimoto

Yoshikazu Fujimoto of KODO has allowed us to use his odaiko composition ‘Narukami’ as the official tournament song for this Taikai. Registrants will have access to a demonstration video (including demonstration, kuchishouga, and greeting message) which Yoshikazu-san filmed just for Taiko Taikai participants!

Participants will enjoy Asano’s finest Odaiko!

We are so grateful for Asano Taiko U.S., who have given their full support for the Odaiko Taikai and have even offered their largest odaiko for participants to play!

Evening Concert

After the Taikai itself is concluded, there will be an evening concert where the judges will demonstrate over a century of their combined experience with a magical performance. Sprinkled between their solos and duets will be Tsugaru Shamisen trios, as well as guest performances by Unit One, and a surprise local taiko community group!

But really, what is a Taikai?

Taikai (tournaments) are events where players come together to demonstrate their skills to experienced judges. Such Taikai events in Japan are hosted for taiko, shamisen, folk singing, and many other art forms. They are amazing bonding experiences for all participants, due to the fact that participants aren’t competing against each other, but rather demonstrating their skills directly to the judges. Although the players with the most points do win in the tournament, participants feel camaraderie because they all are there to give their best effort, and all feel butterflies beforehand (like any performance or demonstration). This shared experience forms long term friendships. In Japan, many people of all skill levels will participate every year in order to see their friends and enjoy the shared spirit of giving their best effort.

It’s a common misunderstanding that tournament events promote an almost-hostile competitive spirit of “player-against-player”. While this might be true for certain arts/sports, it is usually not the case in the Japanese world of “Taikai” (tournaments).

What’s the purpose of Taikai?

A Taikai, regardless of the discipline, gives a player the opportunity to work towards a very achievable goal - the goal being to demonstrate one’s hard-earned abilities. In this case, we are focusing on odaiko, with a set piece written specifically for the Taikai, in order for each participant to have a chance to “bring their best.” Each competitor that practices the pieces and attempts to succeed is improving their skills as both a taiko player and taiko performer. In creating this opportunity we are showing taiko players what else can be done in the realm of taiko and how individuals can come together as a community.

How can you help?

Putting on an event for the first time is expensive! From renting the venue, to staffing the event, and bringing in amazing judges, the list of expenses for this Taiko Taikai quickly becomes as large as the odaiko being used in the competition! As difficult as it is to ask for help with funding, we have received an outpouring of support from the Taiko Community and have great confidence that if made a reality, the 2023 Taiko Taikai can be a wonderful event that brings communities together from afar and provides a goal for many taiko players to grow. Please consider donating to our GoFundMe to help make the 2023 Taiko Taikai as spectacular an event as possible!