Have you ever actually seen a Japanese drum performance?

The sound is completely different from drums used in marching bands.
It has a very Japanese look!
Although they are both percussion instruments, it seems that Japanese drums are made according to traditional methods.

There are many different sizes of Japanese drums, but the one you will often see is the "nagado taiko," commonly known as the "miya taiko." It is said to have been so named because it has been used since ancient times in festivals and ceremonies at shrines and temples.

The manufacturing method and materials vary depending on the manufacturer and the price, but the most expensive ones have a body made of Zelkova (keyaki), which is hard to come by these days. This is because it not only looks good, but is also durable and, above all, produces a powerful, resonant sound.

The body is hollowed out from this precious zelkova wood, making it slightly plump.
This beer barrel shape was created to give the sound depth and weight. When you strike the drum, the sounds that hit the curved surface inside overlap and add to the weightiness of the sound.


It is said that cowhide is good for the drum surface.
To make a smooth and durable mask, the pores of the skin are opened with enzymes from rice bran, the hairs are scraped off, and then the skin is dried or soaked in water. To ensure a uniform thickness, the craftsman shaves the skin by hand in 0.1 mm increments. After going through various steps, the mask that can be attached to the body is finally complete. (The process varies depending on the taiko shop.)


The final step, stretching the surface, will determine whether the work done up to this point will be successful or ruined.
Holes are made around the thin leather, a short wooden stick is passed through the hole, and a rope is tied around it to stretch it little by little. The "ears" in the photo above look like decoration, but they were actually made during this process.

This work is also done to reupholster the surfaces of Japanese drums that have been used for a long time.

Immediately after the perfect drum surface is stretched, the sound is relatively high-pitched, but as time passes, the sound becomes more refined.
After a wadaiko drum is completed, it undergoes further maturation.
That's why storage is important.
They never let their guard down, either during the manufacturing process or after the product has been delivered to someone's hands!

The sound produced by the finished wadaiko reverberates gently and far away. The thick, weighty sound is produced because the air vibrations are not fine, so it can reach a wide area even though it is not fast. Even loud sounds do not feel noisy, perhaps because the sound has a wide range, rather than penetrating the ears in a straight line.

The brisk, yet fluid, sound of the drums and their solemn, weighty tone now captivate large audiences at street performances in many countries around the world.

Wouldn't you like to try beating a Japanese drum with your own hands?

It's not just the act of hitting, but the exhilaration of having several people resonate with the rhythm!
The moment when we all finish together - dong-don-don! - is when you hold your breath and as the feeling of accomplishment lingers.

Play with sound! INAKA Experience Japanese drum trial lesson

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Author: himiko