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San Jose Taiko
San Jose Taiko, founded in 1973, joined San Francisco Taiko Dojo (est, 1968) and Kinnara Taiko (est. 1969) as only the third Kumi-daiko, or ensemble taiko group, in North America. Initially a youth program at the San Jose Betsuin, a member of the Buddhist Churches of America, the group has evolved into a leading arts group not only in the Japanese American community but also in Asian American arts while maintaining unwavering allegiance to Japantown, San Jose. History San Jose Taiko was founded by Roy Hirabayashi, Dean Miyakusu and Rev. Hiroshi Abiko. After the three attended a Kinnara retreat in Santa Barbara, they returned to San Jose where Hirabayashi and Miyakusu raised funds by tapping into the Japanese American band scene in the San Francisco Bay Area and holding dances for San Jose Sansei. Hugely popular events, the dances soon provided them with funds to travel to Los Angeles and tap Rev. Kodani and Kinnara Taiko for drumbuilding expertise and materials. The group gave ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
San Francisco Taiko Dojo
San Francisco Taiko Dojo, founded in 1968 by Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, was the first taiko group in North America, and has been seen as the primary link between the Japanese and North American branches of the art form. Additionally, Tanaka's belief that learning to play taiko only requires a genuine interest in the art form (rather than Japanese ethnicity or heritage), has greatly contributed to taiko's success and growth outside Japan. Roots of "Tanaka Style" (History and Guiding Principles) Tanaka's background The dojo has been under the leadership of Tanaka-Sensei since he founded it in 1968. Therefore, to understand SFTD's style, one must first understand "Tanaka style". Tanaka was born, raised, and educated in Japan. Not long after he graduated from Chiba University of Commerce (in 1964), Tanaka came to the United States for the first time (in 1967). While in San Francisco, Tanaka attended the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco Japantown. He was somewhat dis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
UCLA Kyodo Taiko
UCLA Kyodo Taiko is a collegiate taiko group specializing in taiko drumming. Founded in 1990, Kyodo is the first collegiate taiko group in the country. Kyodo is a Japanese term that means both "family" and "loud children." Many of Kyodo's members are not of Japanese descent. History Using his training at San Jose Taiko, Mark Honda founded Kyodo Taiko in 1990 under the Nikkei Student Union (NSU) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Originally there was no practice space for the group and no instruments to play. Thus, members of Kyodo practiced “air bachi,” where the players would practice by hitting on an imaginary drum. In the summer of 1991, members of Kyodo built their first four chu-daiko drums, with the help of Tom Endo and Kinnara Taiko's Kevin Higa.“History.” UCLA Kyodo Taiko. WordPress. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. http://kyodo.wordpress.com/history/. The group gave their first major performance in February 1992 at Royce Hall on the 50th anniversary of the Ja ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese-American Culture In California
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in ranking to constitute the sixth largest Asian American group at around 1,469,637, including those of partial ancestry. According to the 2010 census, the largest Japanese American communities were found in California with 272,528, Hawaii with 185,502, New York with 37,780, Washington with 35,008, Illinois with 17,542 and Ohio with 16,995. Southern California has the largest Japanese American population in North America and the city of Gardena holds the densest Japanese American population in the 48 contiguous states. History Immigration People from Japan began migrating to the US in significant numbers following the political, cultural, and social changes stemming from the Meiji Restoration in 1868. These early Issei immigrants came primarily from small towns and rural areas i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taiko Groups
are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming more specifically called . The process of constructing varies between manufacturers, and the preparation of both the drum body and skin can take several years depending on the method. have a mythological origin in Japanese folklore, but historical records suggest that were introduced to Japan through China, Chinese and Korean cultural influence as early as the 6th century CE; pottery from the Haniwa period depicting drums has also been found. Some are similar to instruments originating from India. Archaeological evidence also supports the view that were present in Japan during the 6th century in the Kofun period. Their function has varied throughout history, ranging from com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. It is a one-time only award and fellows must be living citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Each year, fellowships are presented to between seven and fifteen artists or groups at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Fellows are nominated by individual citizens, with an average of over 200 nominations per year. From that pool of candidates, recommendations are made by a rotating panel of specialists, including one layperson, as well as folklorists and others with a variety of forms of cultural expertise. The recommendations are then reviewed by the National Council on the Arts, with the final decisions made by the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts. As of 2024, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Endowment For The Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government by an act of the Congress of the United States, U.S. Congress, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 29, 1965 (20 U.S.C. 951). It is a sub-agency of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The NEA has its offices in Washington, D.C. It was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, as well as the Special Tony Award in 2016. In 1985, the NEA won an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its work with the American Film Institute in the identification, acquisition, restoration and preservation of histo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
San Jose State University
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of the United States, West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) system. The university, alongside the University of California, Los Angeles has academic origins in the historic normal school known as the California State Normal School. Located in downtown San Jose, the SJSU main campus is situated on , or roughly 19 square blocks. As of spring 2023, SJSU offers 150 bachelor's degree programs, 95 master's degrees, 5 doctorate, doctoral degrees, 11 different credential programs, and 42 certificates. SJSU is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The university is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classified among "R2: High Research Spending and Doctorate Pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stanford Taiko
Stanford Taiko is a collegiate taiko group based at Stanford University. One of the first collegiate taiko groups to form in North America, it was founded in the winter of 1992 by students Ann Ishimaru and Valerie Mih as a way to share taiko with the university community. As the founding organization of the Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational, Stanford Taiko has been instrumental in the development of collegiate taiko throughout the United States, as well as the larger North American taiko community through performing at the Taiko Jam of the North American Taiko Conference. Since 2000, the group has been active in the international scene through tours and exchange concerts in countries such as Japan, China, and Thailand. Stanford Taiko is a student-run group under the guidance of the Department of Music and faculty advisors Stephen M. Sano and Linda Uyechi. Stanford Taiko continues to spread understanding of the art form among the university community and build upon its knowledge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sansei
is a Japanese and North American English term used in parts of the world (mainly in South America and North America) to refer to the children of children born to ethnically Japanese emigrants (''Issei'') in a new country of residence, outside of Japan. The ''nisei'' are considered the second generation, while grandchildren of the Japanese-born emigrants are called ''Sansei''. The fourth generation is referred to as '' yonsei''. The children of at least one ''nisei'' parent are called ''Sansei''; they are usually the first generation of whom a high percentage are mixed-race, given that their parents were (usually), themselves, born and raised in America. The character and uniqueness of the ''sansei'' is recognized in its social history. In various countries Although the earliest organized group of Japanese emigrants settled in Mexico in 1897,Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) ''Japan-Mexico Relations'' retrieved 2011-05-17 the four largest populations of Japanese and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinnara Taiko
''Kinnara Taiko'' is a Japanese American drumming ensemble (playing taiko) based out of Senshin Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, US. They began playing taiko in 1969 when a few third-generation Japanese Americans gathered after an Obon festival and had an impromptu experimental session on an odaiko drum. Naming themselves after the celestial musicians of Buddhist mythology, the Kinnara, Kinnara Taiko became the first Japanese American Buddhist taiko group. As a Buddhist group, Kinnara places more emphasis on participation, self-awareness and discovering the joy in “just playing” taiko rather than stressing perfection and professionalism as other performance-focused taiko groups do. They contributed largely to the development of kumi-daiko in North America with their innovation of wine barrel drums and their extensive outreach to other Japanese American Buddhist communities in helping start other temple-based taiko groups. History Kinnara Taiko officially began in 1969 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roy Hirabayashi
Roy Mitsuru Hirabayashi (, born 1951) is a Japanese American composer, performer, teacher and activist known for his work as a leader in North American Taiko. He is co-founder of San Jose Taiko, the group's former Artistic and Executive Director, and was active in developing San Jose's Japantown and arts community. He and artistic partner, PJ Hirabayashi, are recipients of the 2011 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Hirabayashi was appointed to the California Arts Council in March 2024. Early life Roy Hirabayashi was born in Berkeley, California in 1951.http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/profiles/60/"Roy Hirabayashi" Discover Nikkei: Japanese Migrants and their Descendants. Japanese American National Museum, 2010. Web. May 5, 2010. His parents were also born in the United States (kibei); however, they were sent to Japan as young children where they a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an international border with the Mexico, Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With almost 40million residents across an area of , it is the List of states and territories of the United States by population, largest state by population and List of U.S. states and territories by area, third-largest by area. Prior to European colonization of the Americas, European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following Mexican War of Independence, its successful war for independence, but Mexican Cession, was ceded to the U ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
