page_title: Music of Japan
section_title: Taiko
hierarchical_section_title: Music of Japan / Traditional and folk music / Taiko
caption_attribution_description: Giant Taiko drum
context_page_description: The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽, combining the kanji 音 on with the kanji 楽 gaku. Japan is the largest physical music market in the world, worth US$2 billion in sales in physical formats in 2014, and the second-largest overall music market, worth a total retail value of 2.6 billion dollars in 2014 – dominated by Japanese artists, with 37 of the top 50 best-selling albums and 49 of the top 50 best-selling singles in 2014.
  Local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels. Traditional Japanese music differs markedly from Western music, as it is often based on the intervals of human breathing rather than on mathematical timing.‹See TfM›
context_section_description: The taiko (太鼓), a Japanese drum, comes in various sizes and is used to play a variety of musical genres.  It has become particularly popular in recent years as the central instrument of percussion ensembles whose repertory is based on a variety of folk- and festival-music of the past.  Such taiko music is played by large drum ensembles called kumi-daiko.  Its origins remain uncertain, but can be traced as far back as the 7th century, when a clay figure of a drummer indicates its existence.  Chinese influences followed, but the instrument and its music remained uniquely Japanese.  Taiko drums during this period were used during battle to intimidate the enemy and to communicate commands.  Taiko continue to be used in the religious music of Buddhism and Shintō.  In the past players were holy men, who played only at special occasions and in small groups, but in time secular men (rarely women) also played the taiko in semi-religious festivals such as the bon dance.
  Modern ensemble taiko is said to have been invented by Daihachi Oguchi in 1951.  A jazz drummer, Oguchi incorporated his musical background into large ensembles, which he had also designed.  His energetic style made his group popular throughout Japan, and made the Hokuriku region a center for taiko music.  Musical groups to arise from this wave of popularity included Oedo Sukeroku Daiko, with Seido Kobayashi.  1969 saw a group called Za Ondekoza founded by Tagayasu Den; Za Ondekoza gathered together young performers who innovated a new roots revival version of taiko, which was used as a way of life in communal  lifestyles.  During the 1970s the Japanese government allocated funds to preserve Japanese culture, and many community taiko groups formed.  Later in the century, taiko groups spread across the world, especially to the United States. The video game Taiko no Tatsujin is based around taiko. One example of a modern Taiko band is Gocoo (founded in 1997).
caption: Taiko performing
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