Interviews
Dedicated to the frontier spirits
I’m not exactly thinking we are representing San Francisco. And Sokobayashi dedicated to Issei, Nisei people. But this is not only for Japanese Issei and Nisei. This is an immigrant country—come from all over. So we have integrated student—German, Russian, Israel, Philippine, Korea, China, South America. So the Sokobayashi is the frontier spirit—dedicated to the frontier spirits, not only Japanese Issei, Nisei. To me, Japanese Issei and Nisei. But to my Filipino student, their frontier spirit dedicated to. So not exactly are…we are representing San Francisco, San Franciscan. But when I go to different country, listen to “I left my heart in San Francisco” That really feels good. Then I feel, “Oh, I’m a San Franciscan.” But usually they defined I’m not thinking I’m a San Franciscan.
Date: January 27, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
Explore More Videos
Involvement with theater
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Rediscovery of Japanese culture through taiko (Japanese)
Shishimai (Lion dance) and Taiko player with San Francisco Taiko Dojo.
The reason he came to the United States (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
First taiko performance in the United States (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Differences in taiko style (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Originality of each taiko group (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Benefits of living in the United States (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Promoting group identity through taiko contests (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Taiko's sounds as Japanese cultural tradition (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Differences between Kinnara and San Francisco Taiko Dojo
(b.1952) Master drummer, artistic director of the Taiko Center of the Pacific
Being free of the tradition
(b.1952) Master drummer, artistic director of the Taiko Center of the Pacific
Collaborating with non-taiko groups
(b.1952) Master drummer, artistic director of the Taiko Center of the Pacific
Changing the taiko rhythm from Japanese to Afro-Cuban
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
Friction between Sensei and Kinnara in defining taiko
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
American influences on Japanese taiko
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.