Where Taikos are Born

Did you ever watch Mr. Rodgers neighborhood?  Do you remember when Mr. McFeely would bring a fun video that showed how things were made?  I remember the crayon video and the matchbox cars.  If I'd had a video camera, I'd send Mr. Rodgers a video of a taiko workshop.

All the taikos our club play were made by a man who lives two hours away.  We met him before our performance but we didn't know that he had made them.

Saturday our taiko leader took us to get bachi (drumsticks).  They are basically just poplar dowels cut to the proper length.  When the plan was being made to go get drumsticks, I figured we would go to a local music store.  Only after we were in the car and headed south did we find out that we were going for a two hour drive.  Alright, just roll with the punches.

Out in the hills, not even in a town, we pulled up to a house with a workshop and shed nearby.  Our taiko leader went to the house and greeted Mr.______ with a small gift, as is polite.  He invited us into the shop.  The front half is a store.  It is filled with drums and other wood crafts.  There were small shrines that are carried by four or eight men during festivals.  There was a stuffed horse with a saddle on it and a samurai helmet on the saddle.  I wonder if it was all authentic.  It looked like it.  I tried not to stare like a giddy nerd.  There were also traditional masks, carved from wood.  Some of them were painted with crazy mustaches.  There were a few samurai wigs, used in a traditional form of dance.  All in all, it was awesome.

We chose the right size drumsticks from the display models and then the owner took us in the back to cut them to length.  He asked us not to take pictures of the shop (I think because it was messy).  It was cool to see a shop where at least two generations of this family have been making drums.  All the tools were there, although I'm not sure what all of them were.  There were stacks of drum heads ready to be applied to new drums or old drums that need fixed.  There were saws and lathes.

It was pretty awesome to see.  That sense of wonder kicked in.  Here, was living breathing culture.  Here was history, continuing into the present and hopefully far into the future.  Here, I was the guest.  It was awe inspiring and humbling.  Kelli and I are so lucky to live here and see things like this.  It's a blessing, no doubt about it.