***UPDATE***

The president of Arashi Taiko has since contacted the current Kyodo Taiko members, and offered an apology while formally asking for permission to perform ‘Encore’. The video in question was also taken down from YouTube. I read the forwarded letter and it seemed sincere, and I thought it was a nice gesture (though, unfortunately, a bit after-the-fact). I hope the current members of Kyodo would be gracious enough to work something out with Arashi that leads to a positive relationship—maybe a joint practice or something if they can meet at next year’s Intercollegiate Taiko Conference.

***

…and I’m not talking about Emily’s mother-of-all-slaps to Craig’s face. This is about full-on Taiko Plagiarism.

Got an e-mail link from Yumi from Taikoproject [via Liz] to the following YouTube video of Oklahoma University’s Arashi Taiko performing their brand-new piece:

Problem is, some of us happen to be familiar with the tune… I mean veeeeerrrrrry familiar. As in this is “Encore,” which UCLA’s Kyodo Taiko composed back in 1997. As in my buddies Christine/Craig/Jason re-mixed this particular rendition. As in I was one of the first to perform the piece, back in ‘07:

The similarities are uncanny… er, blatantly obvious.

Part of me is amused/flattered that the OU kids liked it enough to copy it. Taiko’s about community, and I don’t mind sharing. It’s nice to see that taiko is spreading to places like Oklahoma.

Then again, another part of me is upset that they never did seek permission. I can see why my friends who co-wrote the piece are so pissed. To us, Encore isn’t just any song—it’s Kyodo’s signature song that’s been passed down from generation to generation, for over a decade.

Maybe they did give credit to “This group we found on YouTube” before performing at the “University of Oklahoma African Student Association ‘ROOTS’ talent show”… Who knows.

But if you’re gonna copy it, it wouldn’t hurt to try asking the owners of the song for permission first.

My favorite set of 41 photos from the 41st International Taiko Festival pictures is here:
http://www.rfman.com/Taiko/41st-International-Taiko/Best-Of/

The whole set if here:

http://www.rfman.com/Taiko/41st-International-Taiko/Nov-14-2009/

köszönöm nektek az előadást

(Cser Kata – Iván Tünde)

O grupo Kitsume organiza um workshop de taiko (tambores japoneses) neste final de semana na ACESA, Zona Norte de São Paulo.

O workshop será ministrado por membros da ABT, Associação Brasileira de Taiko. Também é uma ótima oportunidade para conhecer o Yosakoi Soran do grupo Kitsume!

Dia 21 de novembro, das 09:00 às 13:00.

Last evening was a slew of breath-taking, mind-blowing talent show hosted by the International Club. It truly was a range of variety. Performances included karaoke, Japanese taiko drumming, hilarious songs written by innovative student songwriters, room-shaking Bollywood dances choreographed by students, bold a-cappella singers, and a series of dances showcasing the Latin, Balkan, French hip-hop, and Japanese cultures. To top it off, the MC’s were just as energetic to kindle the night.

Here were a few highlights of the evening:

The Taiko Club performs a complex piece involving extreme hand-eye coordination; they made it seem effortless, as usual.

Bollywood dancers performing their own choreography.

A-cappella group "Northfield" sings a folk tune.

It always frazzles me how often International Coffee House draws in such a diverse crowd. Not only is it an event exclusive to Batesies, but the local community as well. What sets it apart from any other performance of artistic, creative expression here at Bates is that it incorporates and unites students across all different perspectives, backgrounds, and communities to come together to see a melting pot of an interconnected global celebration to unite multiculturalism.

オックスフォード・サーカスにスクランブル交差点が完成、本日、記念式典が行われた。アニメのコスチューム姿のイギリス人たちが見守る中、祭りの法被姿の日本人が太鼓を叩き、ロンドン市長が銅鑼を鳴らし、交差点の開通を祝った。

ロンドンのショッピング・エリアのど真ん中に位置するオックスフォード・サーカスの交差点は、毎年約2億人が行き来するロンドンの中でも、最も混雑するエリアだ。渋谷スクランブル交差点を参考に、500万ポンドをかけて作られたこの交差点は、以前はフェンスで囲まれ、何故か横断歩道が道路の真ん中で分断されており、道路の向こう側に行くには2回信号を渡らねばならなかった（しかもこの2つの信号は何故かずれていて、まっすぐに繋がっていない）。なので、斜め前の交差点に行くには、信号を4回渡るか、地下のチューブの駅を通っていく（出口が多いので、迷う可能性あり）しかなかく、しかも非常に混んでいるので、苦痛に近かった。しかし今年4月の交差点建設発表から半年ちょっと。今はフェンスも取り払われすっきり、道を渡るのが非常に楽になりそうだ。

しかし、「homage to its Far Eastern inspiration（東洋から得た交差点のインスピレーションへのオマージュ）」とのコンセプトで企画された記念式典は、西洋人の考える典型的な「東洋」のイメージで、アジアの文化がごっちゃまぜ。2mもある大きな銅鑼（スイスのメーカー、パイステ社製）は日本というより中国、太鼓は日本、そして「東京」を意識した、アニメのへんてこな髪型と衣装に身を包んだ居心地悪そうなイギリス人たち。また、「変な」日本のイメージが増幅されそうだわ。

Long awaited Oxford Circus ‘X-crossing’ opened toay, and the celebration for its opening was held at the junction. London mayor Boris Johnson struck a huge cymbal and Japanese musicians played Taiko drums, surrounded by people dressed in Manga (Anime) characters costumes.

Oxford Circus junction is one of the most crowded part in London as located in a heart of the shopping district, where 200 million people visit every year. This £5m diagonal crossing, inspired by the Shibuya X-crossing in Tokyo. The four corners of the junction are used to blocked by barriers. There were a small ‘island’ in the middle the street to divide the crossing in half , therefore, you had to cross 2 signals in order to cross the street. To go to the opposite diagonal corner, you had to choose either passing 4 crossings or going underground with a risk of getting lost among many exits. The area was extremely crowded, and it was like a torture to cross the junction. It’s been over 6 months since the new plan of X-crossing revealed in April – now the junction looks more neat and much easier to cross the street.

By the way, what is all about the ceremony “homage to its Far Eastern inspiration”?? It is a typical image of Westerners about ‘Orientals,’ mixing up all the eastern Asian cultures together (sometimes even with southeast Asia, too, such as Thai etc). The huge 2m-high cymbal (made by Swiss company Paiste) is more like China than Japan, Japanese drums, and the British in peculiar costumes of Anime characters who looked very embarrassed – I am afraid the ceremony would amplify the image of ‘eccentric’ Japan…

Oxford Circus intersection before

Up next, I teach two creativity workshops for Portland Taiko. This is an expansion of a workshop I taught at the North American Taiko Conference in Los Angeles over the summer.

The workshop is called Seven Ways to Develop Material. Here’s a description:

Do you have great ideas but need to know how to turn your thoughts into a composition? Learn seven ways to expand craft and creativity to create compelling music. These tools can help produce work that takes risks, develops material, and engages the audience. Together, we will expand the space between our ears to complete unfinished works or refine existing catastrophes.

There will be two workshops. The first workshop introduces seven ways to approach creating a musical performance. In between the two workshops, students will use these tools to develop musical material. In the second workshop, four to five participants will share their developed material.

In preparation for the first workshop, I’ve asked participants to come with:

1. A list of 20 ways music is used. For example one way would be wedding music.
2. A list of 20 audience types. For example one type would be farmers.
3. One musical idea you are working on, with, around, or in. The idea should be on paper and can be drawings, words, musical notation, or a combination of any/all of the above.

Seven Ways to Develop Material will cover the following:

1. Function What and who is the music for?
2. Concept How does the work access imagination?
3. Structure Does the form promote the concept?
4. Time Where does the performance take the audience?
5. Timbre When do in/significant moments happen?
6. Filter How does the music breathe?
7. Notation How can the work be remembered/documented most effectively?

I look forward to working with Portland Taiko on these Creativity Workshops.

During the ISMIR Banquet (held in the most beautiful place in the world, the Kobe Kachoen) we were entertained by the Maturishu a Taiko performance group.  They were just fantastic:

i love how it blocks everything out. how your whole body vibrates with each beat. how it drowns out the quietness. because i cant be left alone with my thoughts…

today i learned how to play taiko. i went to a club after school and my friends taught me. there’s a certain stance you have to be in and you have to move your arms a certain way, at a certain time. it isnt easy XD but i like it and might continue with it.

i feel like i should say something else. something reassuring. something funny. but i cant really think of anything. in fact i dont even know WHAT i should be saying right now…

Começando com um desenhinho que fiz no paint de uma tocadora de taiko XD Os outros só na base do scanner porque ainda não entrei na vibe de photoshop, etc.

Algum dia quem sabe aprendo a aprimorar minhas técnicas

Como eu disse em post’s passados está acontecendo varias eventos aqui em São Paulo,entao vou falar um resumo geral dos eventos

16°Fest Comix : Achei bem legal a Fest comix esse ano (foi no mesmo local da ultima fez comix),o lugar tinha bastante coisa pra aproveitar desde lojinhas com bonecos , tocas de animes , mupy , doces e logico mangas , HQ’s e revistas em geral e video game (tanto pra comprar tanto pra dar uma jogada free play), e palestras dentro da comix durante o dia.

Diferente da ultima comix eles focaram mais no mundo otaku do que o publico “nerd” como um todo, um exemplo disso foi a diminuição de fanfic’s vendidas (reduzidas para 1 loja apenas diferente de outras versoes que tinha mais de 3 barracas vendendo fanfic’s em geral), Nessa versao tambem só tinha 3 lojas com promoções de revista(Nas outras versões  tinha muitas opções de compras) no lugar foi colocado lojas de itens de otakus (tocas, bonecos etc…) que é legal mas achei que deveria ser mais focado ficou com mais cara de evento de anime do que um evento de quadrinhos em geral.

Gostei do Free Play de SF4 e Mario kart Wii que estava tendo bem na entrada do evento(era bem diferente as filas.. o mario kart wii tinha em media 4 pessoas na fila enquanto SF4 tinha +- uns 20 hehehhe ), Da lojinha de quadrinhos na frente da comix que estava vendendo mangas por 50% de desconto(era meio que jogado , você tinha que procurar pelos volumes você mesmo mas mesmo assim valia a pena).. até meu pai aproveitou e comprou uns quadrinhos do Xmen , homem aranha etc… que estava 0,99 centavos XD(ele saiu de lá com uns 30 X.X nao posso falar nada comprei um  monte de manga +- 20 ou por ai.. pra completar uns coleções heheh).

“Campeonato de Wii Fit Plus “ : Não sei se as pessoas nao gostam muito de Wii fit ou foi por falta de informação mesmo , Hoje no shopping morumbi teve mais ou menos 10 pessoas nesse “campeonato” (que só teve uma rodada). Cheguei um pouco atrasado mas mesmo assim nao fez muita diferença nao teve separação de dados antes do torneio, cadastro nem ordem de chamada (ou seja organização 0).

O mini gami era uma guerra de neve que você tinha que ficar fugindo das bolas de neves(usando a balança) e atirando neles com o botao A, nada dificil pra quem está acostumado com a balança(mas quem nao tá fica meio dificil controlar o peso no jogo) mas mesmo assim foi bem divertido..

O primeiro lugar ficou com 36 pontos enquanto o segundo 32 pontos (fiquei em 4° com 30 pontos achei até bom principalmente pra mim que nao tinha jogado ainda esse jogo e nem tem wii fit em casa ).Agora vem a parte dos premios como dito antes o primeiro iria ficar com 2 jogos e o segundo com 1 jogo só que na hora de entregar o jogo nao podia escolher o jogo(¬¬” eu achei meio injusto porque se a pessoa tivesse ou nao gostasse se virasse com ele XD), O primeiro pegou rayman e ultimate band e o segundo só um ultimate band.

Em geral foi meio divertido(diversao de 15 minutos) mas deveria ter uma organização melhor vamos ver os campeonatos dos proximos meses.

Taiko live + Bazar : Eu cheguei muito tarde para conseguir ver alguma coisa do bazar mas pelo o que eu vi tinha algodão doce e pipoca de graça e varios itens legais para venda(mas focado totalmente nas mulheres ), mas vou tentar dar uma passada lá amanha depois da minha prova e ver o que tem de melhor.

E o taiko live fui lá seco pra ver pelo menos a apresentação mas quando fui entrar tinha que pagar o ingresso de 20 reais sendo que nem no poster  e nenhum lugar falava do valor e um papelzinho que mostrava o horario das coisas eles estavam vendendo por 2 reais.. eu achei um absurdo isso.. praticamente um roubo.. entao nem decidi entrar .. desculpa mas nos proximos vou tentar falar como foi.

O torneio de yugioh dessa vez nao vou poder participar por causa da prova mas vou dar uma olhada e ver como está andando e falo ou no domingo a noite ou segunda a tarde ^^

Quem ainda quiser .. amanha vai ser o ultimo dia da comix e do bazar entao nao percam tempo e vao dar uma espiada >.o.

Por enquanto é isso.. vou preparar mais materias e postar ^^

abraços lol

Eventos em São Paulo é o que nao faltam mas esse final de semana em especifico vai ser bem diversificado , pra quem gosta de campeonatos , taiko e muito mais…

Entao vamos começar pelo Fest Comix que é bem conhecido pelos fãs de mangas/HQ’s e etc…Pra quem gosta daquele descontinho, ou tentar achar aquele manga/HQ’s raro é essa a hora de conseguir..ou pelo menos tentar heheh

Onde:

Centro de Eventos São Luís.

Rua Luís Coelho, 323 – Consolação – Zona Sul.

Quando:

16 a 18 de outubro

O segundo é um espetaculo de taiko* que vai acontecer na liberdade nesse sabado dia 17 no Grande Auditório do Bunkyo é perto do metro são joaquim e muito facil de localizar(descendo a rua do metro , uns 2 quarteirões no lado esquerdo você vai encontrar um predio onde varias vezes tem concurso de orquidea)

taiko* = significa Grande tambor e ele se refere as grandes apresentações  usando tambores , parece uma coisa simples mas é muito bonito ver o sincronismo , os sentimentos e os movimentos na apresentação.

ITIGO ITIE – TAIKO LIVE – Atibaia Seiryu e Himawari
Data: 17 de outubro de 2009 (sábado)
Horário: 19h30
Local: Grande Auditório do Bunkyo – Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Japonesa e de Assist. Social
Endereço: R. São Joaquim, 381, Liberdade, São Paulo (metrô São Joaquim)

Informações e convites:

(11) 2276-9059 / o.kenji@uol.com.br

(11) 4416-1332 / akinaoyama@gmail.com

O terceiro evento é um campeonato de Wii Fit Plus um jogo da plataforma nintendo wii e consiste em se exercitar fazendo flexões , correndo, yoga e varios outros mini games.. Ainda não se sabe qual vai ser o mini game escolhido para o campeonato mas será provavelmente um de corrida. Esse campeonato deve ser porque teve o lançamento do jogo faz pouco tempo na Paulista como ocorreu com o lançamento do jogo Street Fighter 4 que foi no mesmo local(morumbi), o campeonato é de graça e a inscrição vai ser no dia como tambem a divulgação das regras.

Onde: Fnac MorumbiShopping- AVENIDA ROQUE PETRONI JÚNIOR, 1089 – VILA GERTRUDES – SÃO PAULO – SP – Telefone (11)3206-2000

Quando: 17/10/09 às 14h00.

[Taylor]

Well, the big Aomori Go Festival has come and gone.  I ended up on a five person team composed of people who work for an electric company in a nearby town.  If I had to sum it up concisely, I would choose three words;  humbling, exhausting, and fun.  Humbling because I realized how much I need to improve.  I won one game out of four and the mistakes I made in the games I lost were pretty embarrassing.  But it was also a lot of fun and I learned a lot from my mistakes.  With that said, it was exhausting in part from all the Go playing, but mostly on account of dealing with the language barrier all day.

It was especially nice to see some familiar faces at the tournament and meet other people around the prefecture who play Go.  A few of the people I met helped us out on Friday at Culture Day; a day long seminar for participants in the JET Program to learn more about Japanese Culture.  This year our prefectural organization decided to give a Go presentation.  Three high level Go players, including one of the top 2 or 3 players in the prefecture, gave introductory presentations while my friend Aaron translated their words into English and I provided some analysis during demonstrations.  Pictures below.

Playing a game at lunch before the presentation.

Getting myself into trouble against a 4 dan (a player 12 ranks better than me).

There was obviously more to Culture Day than just Go.  While I was helping out with the Go presentations, Julie learned about Japanese ceramics, taiko drumming, traditional dance, and even got to wear a kimono.

Taiko drumming

Traditional dance

Julie preparing to try traditional Japanese dancing.

Traditional ceramics

So the day after Culture Day I ended up playing in another Go tournament.  This one was much more low key as it only included six people from the Go Club in Noheji.  I won two games out of five.  One of those wins was a significant milestone for me as I beat a player who was given two stones on the board against me.  Usually it’s the other way around and I get the extra stones.

Last weekend, I spent 3 days shooting 4 Taiko concerts – the 2nd annual Meigetsu (Harvest Moon) festival. Each concert is different,
with may be a dozen groups altogether. ISO1600, 1/40 @F2 is not uncommon. I just keep remembering Ted Grant’s words – “if you can see
it, you can shoot it.” I shot ~6000 frames, for the performers, I culled them down to ~1200. Obviously the complete set is only of  interest to the performers.

I culled 72 of my favorites. Perhaps you would enjoy them:
http://www.rfman.com/Taiko/Meigetsu-2009/Best-Of/

The innovative dance + taiko group

Most people have probably seen or heard a taiko drummer at some point in their life. They are one of Japan’s most accessible and export friendly forms of music. So I think you can imagine that seeing them live is pretty amazing. The sound, the power and the fierce expressions of concentration in the drummer’s faces are wonderful. I played in a rock band when I was a kid, and I can tell you that performing music on stage is a form of natural high that surpasses anything I have ever done since. I can only imagine how it must feel for these taiko drummers.

I really liked watching this lady, the most senior member in her troupe. She reminded me of a close friend for some reason, anf in her music she came across majestetically.

Taiko of course, means large drum, and I saw yhis troupe at the Fukurou festival in Ikebukuro late last month. I wanted to upload a video for you but the lousy WiFi that I am leeching from my roof top is weak today. And the approaching typhoon doesn’t make for a good opportunity to wander around the neighborhood with a laptop looking for a free connection easier. So enjoy the pictures, video coming later.

Antes de mais nada, você deveria assistir ou ler Ghost in The Shell (攻殻機動隊). Não é dica, não é sugestão, é obrigação. O mangá infelizmente não tem tradução para o português, todavia, quem é brazuca e ainda não assistiu a animação cujo título nas terras de cá é “O Fantasma do Futuro” (1995, Flashstar) deveria arder no fogo do inferno de tanta vergonha. Sem brincadeira. Logo, o vídeo abaixo é dedicado não apenas aos já conhecedores desta obra memorável de Shirow Masamune e Mamoru Oshii como também aos culturalmente mutilados. Aproveitem.

Em uma bacia grande misture Movimento Cyberpunk, Movimento Hiperfuturista Japonês, os grandes tambores de Taiko, 75 musicistas do canto folclórico japonês Min’yo, o compositor super cabeludo Kenji Kawai e Blade Runner até adquirir uma forma homogênea. Se é que isso é possível. Imagine o filme levado às últimas conseqüências, tenha e apague da sua mente termos como “globalização” e “multiculturalismo” e dê uma pitada generosa da eterna discussão sobre Homem vs. Máquina. Pronto, você ganhou Ghost in The Shell (攻殻機動隊).

É mais do que evidente (e já é tardio) que o Ao Sugo ganhe um ou vários artigos sobre esta obra-prima do mangá e da animação japonesa que influenciou diretamente aquele tal do Matrix. Sem contar que deu novos tons aos clássicos Neuromancer de William Gibson ou então deixou – e muito – feliz o nosso caro Philip K. Dick. Se já se perdeu no meio de tantos nomes, aproveite também para visitar a nossa seção Portão de Tannhauser. Assista Ghost in the Shell. E aí volte para o Ao Sugo e deixe o seu precioso comentário. Os cozinheiros agradecem.

E agora, com vocês, Kenji Kawai em Kugutsuuta kagirohi ha yomi ni mata muto de Ghost in the Shell – Innocence.

Victor Hugo, perdido no Ciberespaço

Imagem: Batou no filme Ghost in the Shell – Innocence

Além de alhos com cabeça, pés e dentes nós do Ao Sugo adoramos discutir coisas sérias. Se você quer saber mais sobre esta temática, visite nossos artigos sobre o mundo Cyberpunk.

A friend of mine begged with glowing eyes (at least the emoticon she used did) for me to go with her to a Japan Festival in Aterro Do Flamengo. I hesitated before I agreed, because the Japanese are all insane and in a species of their own, judging by their sexual taste (something brilliantly covered here and here — NSFW warning) and art output. However, they are great in their insanity. So I couldn’t refuse, plus I hadn’t seen this friend in months.

A quarter to midday and I found myself on the entrance, puzzled at the lack of Japanese people in Japan Festival. Of course, they were there, but much like a light condiment on a huge soup made out of curious Brazilians, to put it very stupidly. I found my friend (and her friends) and we talked while they waited on the ridiculously gigantic queue to get a yakisoba. After talking a bit and watching two of them play a very boring game of GO (which seems like a nice game, provided you’re not just watching), a performance on the stage caught my attention. I got there just in time to see the last bit of a Taiko performance — Japanese drums. The coreography and the sound were simply hypnotic. Visual music. There would be a second performance in two hours. I hurried home to get my camera and returned in one.

Thanks to having been quick, I had to endure two godawful presentations (I had chosen a decent spot to film from and I may have lost it if I left it) — one of them was a fashion show with Brazilian girls wearing Japanese “lolita” outfits. The girl hosting the show was reading her lines from a piece of paper, and when she improvised she was so slow and stammered so much I wished she’d go back to reading the paper. All the outfits, in my opinion, looked ridiculous, so it was still fun to witness the girls parading around in them, one of them wearing long socks with a chess pattern. Even better, there were about eight girls and exactly ONE guy, who was instantly giggled at by the audience — and ironically, he was very into it, probably the most professional of the group, which, judging by what the audience muttered around me, they instantly read as “total faggot”. I, for one, admired how he kept a straight face while looking like he was ambushed by a mean-spirited wardrobe.

The second presentation had no redeeming factors whatsoever. It was an Aikido performance. The performers didn’t even bring a bloody mat. Their teacher — who is one of those people who upon climbing on a stage insists on giving a five-minute long, boring introduction and is unable to shut up for the rest of the show as well — said the students would avoid getting hurt and would be careful when performing the moves. Obviously, this meant the moves were very slow and the falls were simulated, which made Aikido seem like a very, very bad way of defending oneself. The teacher also talked about the “chi” and referred to the area right above the pubis as, if I remember correctly, a “center of energy”. He proceeded to grab this area and show it proudly, in a way that made it look like he was cock-slapping an invisible girl. I have no idea how the entire audience, me included, managed to hold back the laughter. Maybe because the guy was too into it and it would be like taking a toy from a child. Or maybe because only I and my dirty mind found this to be very funny.

(Okay, so I’ll admit that is ONE redeeming factor.)

Finally, the second Taiko presentation, which I filmed and edited in three parts with the five main performances (two intermission performances were cut). Apologies for the inevitably shaky camera (handheld) and for my hand passing past it on the second part — I was distractedly trying to shield the top of it from the rain. Enjoy.

With a shout and a thudding downbeat, Nagata Shachu Japanese Taiko and Music Group began its performance on Sept. 29.

A traditional Japanese music form, Taiko refers to one or more people playing one or more large daiko drums. Nagata Shachu breathes new life into this ancient art and seeks to bring the enjoyment of Taiko drumming to the masses.

Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Nagata Shachu is one of the premiere Taiko groups in North America and has been performing since 1998. Nagata Shachu tours the United States and Canada.

The group is one of the only performing Taiko groups sponsored by four major daiko producers in Japan. In this eleventh year of Nagata Shachu, it has expanded its studio and is constantly innovating and creating new music.

The ensemble performed 13 songs and an encore. Twelve of the songs were original compositions by members of the group, while two were traditional Japanese songs arranged by group members.

Performers Scott Jusano, Aki Takahashi, Angela Colangelo, Nick Shao and Miki Kato, along with founder and artistic director Kyoshi Nagata, are internationally acclaimed for their creative and broad repertoire, as well as the sheer physicality of their performance. A large part of the performance of Taiko involves coordinating movements and dance, which along with the drumming, left the artists breathless after many of their sets.

From the beginning of the 110-minute performance, the drummers’ energy infected the audience. Many tapped their feet and found it hard to keep from chanting “hai” along with the performers.

Sophomore Cody Greene came to the performance because he is currently studying Japanese.

“I’m digging it,” Greene said. “I’m going to Japan during Winter Term. It’s really exciting to get some of that flavor before I leave.”

While some of the songs were composed, many featured an element of improvisation. Members would create a simple rhythm while a soloist improvised on a large daiko, sometimes pounding out a harsh beat and sometimes tapping a subtle cadence. All group members would eventually come together in a unified pulse.

The numbers varied from fast and pounding to slow and haunting. The music was infectious, even chilling.

In addition to the requisite daiko drums, Nagata Shachu featured three different types of bamboo flutes, a shamisen (similar in style to a banjo, but with only three strings), hand cymbals called chappa, gongs and vocals. The drummers were all multi-talented, sometimes even switching instruments in the midst of a performance.

Most of the songs were related to the natural world: weather, animals and the cycle of life. All of the sets were moving.

Nagata Shachu exited to a well-deserved standing ovation.

Sophomore Kelly Zug came to the event with Greene.

“It’s very thrilling,” she said. “I was really tired when I came in, but now I’m really pumped up. It’s awesome…I had to take my pulse after one of the songs.”

This is a montage of the last Design Festa vol 29.

Design Festa is one wild weird weeked of an eclectic gathering of artistic chaos of artists, musicians, craftsmen, performance artists.

This month there are many neighborhood omatsuri, festivals organized by local shrines to celebrate the harvest. Like the summer omatsuri I wrote about earlier, the festivals include carrying portable shrines through the streets, taiko drums, music, costumes include happi and fundoshi, public eating and drinking, and much neighborhood socializing.

Above is a large night festival in Suginami, popular with young people. The long path to the shrine is lined with hundreds of food stalls, selling regional foods and even imported ones like shawarma (which Japanese call kebab). Chocolate-covered bananas, light-up horns, and beer all seem popular.

Several features of omatsuri are particularly relevant to Tokyo Green Space: the celebration in the city of a harvest festival, the use of streets for community gathering, the multi-generational bonds of community that are formed and maintained.

Last weekend, my local shrine celebrated with a kid’s omatsuri one day, and an adult one the next day. Each day the parade made a stop in front of my apartment building, turning the parking lot into a public festival. The supermarket offered free drinks and food, and I met several young fathers and kids who live in my building. The woman next door who tends an overflowing flower garden in the alley was at the shrine, watering the ground. She welcomed me and gave me a tour of the shrine area, which had portable structures and the doors open in the small permanent building. You can see it is surrounded by blue sheets for an impromptu seating area.

I was also struck by the mesmerizing music. A band played in front of the shrine: three drummers, a flute player, and a simple metal instrument that resembles a tin bowl. The Youtube video gives you an idea of how it sounds.

After the jump, you can see a few extra pictures showing how the procession takes over the main street.

And finally, biking into Shinjuku, I was surprised to see so many small shrines, including temporary ones outside office buildings. In the days leading up to the festival, I had wondered about the large multi-rowed lanterns lit up. I wonder if this temporary shrine refers to one that existed prior to the building, or if it is somehow connected with the current tenant.

And a still photo of the musicians.

Seems like my earlier prediction was almost completely accurate. That’s not to say I haven’t had any free time – the past week is actually the time when you have loads (today’s when classes start and I assume things leave you feeling like an overworked sweatshop worker) – I’ve just been doing loads of stuff with friends, and it has been really awesome getting to know people so far.

There’s some really big news. Things are now on hold with Ally, mostly because I’ve been weak and can’t face the idea of continuing what it felt like (loneliness mostly) for the first few days for the next 4 years. But we’re going to keep talking, and I’m not going to get any further into it since he reads this sometimes.

Cool stuff should be happening the next few days – I’ve signed up for the Swing Dance group (I know it sounds lame, but every time I think that about a dance group e.g. Scottish Folk Dancing at Eton, which I know sounds retarded but is actually amazing so stop hating you haters, I end up loving it), I’m auditioning for a bit part in an anti-Berkeley Musical, I’m trying out for Taiko (Japanese Drumming) on Saturday, and I want to join some environmental groups and see what I can do at the LGBT centre. I also want to try getting a job if I can find one but apparently freshmen usually get lumped with all the shitty jobs like serving food and washing bedridden professors or something. Eww.

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens has been a part of my life for more than nine years, so it’s always a delight to read and see how people are still discovering it.

Every time I visit, I see or eat or experience something new. Through this blog, I hope to share some of that experience with others who love Japan, South Florida, Delray Beach, culture, art, music, food, education, shopping, film and people — just a few of the things that make The Morikami so fantastic.

If you need a reason to visit, I give you Ronin Taiko.

At 7 p.m. Oct. 8 and 9, The Morikami will kick off its 2009-2010 cultural season with two concerts that you feel  in your chest. Taiko drumming dates back more than 2,600 years. Used to intimidate enemies before a war and celebrate at religious ceremonies, taiko is simply “cool.”  Playing the big drums is a combination of raw power, aerobic dance, choreography and overwhelmingly, coordinated sound.

Every festival The Morikami holds is packed with people coming just for the taiko. I can’t think of a better way to get the party started.

To buy tickets online, visit www.morikami.org.

Ronin Taiko Kicks off The Morikami's 2009-2010 season Oct. 8 and 9.