Museum audio describes taiko drums, traces ensemble drumming’s postwar rise in North America

An exhibit audio in the USA Canada galleries describes a display of taiko drums and links the instruments to the growth of ensemble drumming in North America after World War II. The audio notes the drums on display vary in size and shape and are intended to be played together.

The audio guide said the drums “are meant to be played altogether as an ensembles,” and added that “the term taiko means drums in Japanese.” It places the modern ensemble form in a postwar context, saying it “emerged after Second World War, and blossomed in North America, especially among Japanese American communities on the West Coast.”

The narrator described how early North American players adapted available materials, explaining that early groups repurposed wine barrels to make drums, a practice the audio ties to the distinctive sound and appearance associated with taiko performance. The guide also said that in Japan taiko has long been performed at shrines and festivals, and that in the United States the powerful sound of taiko has become a staple of Japanese American celebrations and festivals.

The audio noted that “there are hundreds of taiko groups across the North America,” and concluded by saying contemporary groups include players from diverse backgrounds who continue to celebrate Japanese heritage through ensemble drumming. The exhibit audio did not specify dates for individual drums on display or list the names of performing groups.

The display described in the audio is located in the USA Canada galleries of the museum.