Interviews

1. Celebrating traditional Japanese New Years with family

2. Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

3. Developing an original kata

4. Introducing Taiko in Vancouver

5. The philosophy of playing Taiko

6. Defining a Taiko player

Roy Hirabayashi

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

Defining a Taiko player

Mr. Asano from Asano Taiko told us, when he invited us to Japan, he said to us that he thought San Jose Taiko was really interesting for him because we were able to kind of embody some of the spirit of Taiko that he felt even groups in Japan did not have. It was hard for him to kind of explain that to us and maybe hard for us to understand him Japanese and what he was trying to say. But it was an interesting comment that he made that basically he felt that because Taiko was becoming so popular even in Japan, that the philosophy and the spirit of playing has just been lost. It’s become just an instrument. So even for a Taiko maker, “What is a Taiko player?” is the big question.

Asano Taiko (firm) California drum identity Japan music San Jose San Jose Taiko taiko United States

Date: January 26, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

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

Interviewee Bio

Roy Hirabayashi, managing director and co-founder of San Jose Taiko, was born in Berkeley, California in 1951 to kibei parents. The middle of five children, he was raised in Oakland, California. After graduating from high school in 1969, he attended San Jose State University where he received degrees in psychology and philosophy.

He has worked for the San Jose State University Asian American Studies Program, Japanese American Citizens League, the Pacific Asian Coalition, and the Buddhist Churches of America. It was through his work with the YBA (Young Buddhists of America) that he became involved with taiko. Reverend Hiroshi Abiko of San Jose Buddhist Church asked Dean Miyakusu and him to start something for the youth after being inspired by Kinnara Taiko. They started the group and it has since evolved into one of the most influential taiko groups in the Americas. (January 26, 2005)