Tennon Daiko
Ususally most JET Programme participants get involved with some aspect of Japanese culture. Whether it be through sports, cooking, language or arts, most participants will at least attempt to find a hobby here. I was most interested in joining a taiko group. So, I asked around to see if there was a group in Gobo. At first, I was told there is none but I got a lead from another ALT in Tanabe. He put me in touch with Tennon Daiko and was able to attend one of their practices. This group has been practicing together for 20 years but a few of the members were born after the group was founded. At least 4 of the members are still in high school.
The drummers were fairly welcoming and wanted me to do a short self-introduction. They even had me start practicing right away. It was really challenging to play the taiko drums as you need a lot of strength and excellent hand-eye coordination to hit the drum in time and then have enough restraint so that you control the sound. A lot of athleticism is involved as well since you have to squat sometimes as you play the drum. I think this will be a challenging hobby especially since the practices are Saturday mornings! After watching the group tackle a piece by Kodo which is the most famous taiko group in all of Japan, I felt really motivated to give this a fair try.
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