Asano Taiko

Up early for a loooooong bus ride to Hakusan where the Asano Taiko factory and museum is located. Waiting for the van to show up, we noticed something that had been in the lobby of our hotel all week.

So, are we renting? Or is it free?

Art-sensei picked us up at 7:20 and took us to Misaka Ryoukan, where the bus was already full with the rest of the crew. We piled in and commenced a five-hour trip to Hakusan. Nothing to note, except having long legs in Japan sucks.

We arrived at Asano at around 1pm, giving us about 30 minutes to shop before our workshop started. NHK, Japan's national public television station, was there waiting for us with a film crew and news reporter (we really ARE celebrities out here, it's quite funny), filmed us shopping and interviewed a few members of the group. 

The workshop was really something. Jige Akemi, one of the founding members of Honoo Taiko, an all-female taiko group, spent 90 minutes with us teaching us a song. A lot of different techniques and movements than what we have worked on with Tokara. It's really quite something to be instructed by musicians of this caliber, both Jige-sensei and the members of Tokara. 

After the workshop, we had 30 minutes to check out the museum. It was relatively small, but had one of the largest Oodaiko's I have ever seen. And, amazingly, we were allowed to play it!

Yes, it really IS bigger that Sumi.

Over five feet tall, carved out of a single tree, about eight feet long.

A beautiful drum, and it sounded amazing!

It was so resonant, you could feel your whole arm vibrate when you struck the drumhead. I don't even want to know how much it is valued at. Over $100,000 easily. And they let us play it!

After the excitement that was the museum, we piled back in the bus for the long return trip. We stopped at a rest area for dinner, which was passable. It was one of those restaurants where you buy a ticket from a vending machine and hand it to the servers. Nothing special, but better than the konbini food we'd been living on. Apparently in the women's bathroom (not in the men's from what I saw), they felt the need to give instructions on how to use the toilet.

Do not sit backwards or squat on the toilet. Toilet paper goes IN the toilet. I'm glad they cleared that up.

Finally got back to the hotel around 10. Sumi and I did a few quick run-throughs of Tonbane, since we hadn't played it since yesterday morning, and to bed. Tomorrow is our big Japanese debut!