Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/993/

Taiko as a family activity

Well, I think my having involved from a family perspective definitely gives me the roots to—for me philosophically—to want to have taiko be part of the family. With my husband having been part of the group, what happened was that we started to attract people who wanted to do it as a family activity. And it might’ve been a two-fold thing. It could’ve been that they saw us doing it as a family activity, so they would join up as a family activity. But, there were some members in our group that they wanted their child to do something cultural, but they got involved somehow because of their attraction to it after a while. And there was several of our members that had been introduced that way. So, their child started, they became involved. Some of the children now have left the group, but they’re still involved. And I think our group is unique in that we do have a lot of family members doing taiko together. It’s not just one family member.


drum families taiko

Date: July 9, 2004

Location: Hawaii, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

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

Interviewee Bio

Kay Fukumoto, of Maui Taiko, continues a multi-generational family tradition of playing taiko at local, annual Obon festivals that began with her grandfather and great-grandfather and now includes her husband and son. Though the Maui Taiko group was formed officially in 1996, it has been operating informally on Maui, Hawaii for over 100 years.

In 1970, at the age of ten, Kay was the first girl to be allowed to play the taiko at an Obon festival on the island of Maui. She now leads Maui Taiko, which plays at 16 different temples during the Obon festival season. In 2001, she coordinated a trip for the group to perform taiko in Fukushima and Hiroshima, Japan. (July 9, 2004)

Mas Kodani
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Kodani,Mas

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Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.

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PJ Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,PJ

Taiko as self-expression

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

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PJ Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,PJ

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

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

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Roy Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,Roy

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

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Roy Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,Roy

Defining a Taiko player

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Family separated in the camps

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Family first

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Being accepted as biracial family

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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George Yamada
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Yamada,George

Memories of railroad workers who stayed at family's prewar hotel in Spokane, Washington

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

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Paula Hoyos Hattori
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Hattori,Paula Hoyos

Her interests in Japanese culture (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

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Margaret Oda
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Oda,Margaret

Growing up with Japanese language and values

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

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Johnny Mori
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Mori,Johnny

Japanese American taiko is not Japanese taiko

(b. 1949) Musician and arts educator and adminstrator.

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Johnny Mori
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Mori,Johnny

Parents didn't accept me playing taiko in the beginning

(b. 1949) Musician and arts educator and adminstrator.

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George Abe
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Abe,George

Ocean of Sound: Taiko in the Womb

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

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George Abe
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Abe,George

The Birth of Kinnara

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

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