Interviews

1. Experiencing discrimination as a child

2. Feeling empowered by taiko

3. Taiko as self-expression

4. Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko

5. Learning from and appreciating the Nisei experience

6. Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko

7. Bringing Japanese American taiko to Japan

8. A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community

PJ Hirabayashi

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

Bringing Japanese American taiko to Japan

In 1987, we went to Nagasaki where we stayed with Ondekoza for a few weeks and played with them in joint performance. And it was there in Japan playing juxtaposed to Ondekoza that it’s like, “Wow, we are really different,” and “Wow, we do have a different voice.” And to hear the response from the Japanese audience and hearing English come out of our mouths—“Oh, you don’t speak Japanese,” and “Oh, what kind of drums are those?” We insisted on taking our wine barrel-made Taiko to Japan as a part of like, “See? This is what we do. This is what Japanese Taiko has inspired here in the United States.” It was very important for us to show that to the Japanese public. So to receive their very favorable response from the Japanese audience to say, “Yes, that’s Taiko but really different. Your music is different. But yes, it’s Taiko.”

California drum music Ondekoza San Jose San Jose Taiko taiko United States

Date: January 26, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Patti Jo “PJ” Hirabayashi is among the most prominent women taiko players in the United States. Born and raised in Northern California, she attended Cal State Hayward where she became involved in Asian American movement activities before transferring to UC Berkeley. After graduation, she spent a year living in Japan before returning to San Jose where she was a graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning at San Jose State University. While there, she became acting director of the school’s Asian American Studies Center. She wrote her master’s thesis about the future of San Jose’s Japantown.

Hirabayashi joined San Jose Taiko in January 1974 as a charter member of the group. She is now the creative director of the ensemble, and she draws inspiration from the Asian American civil rights movement. She performs, trains, teaches, develops repertoire, tours, holds public workshops and conducts school outreach programs.(January 26, 2005)

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