Feel the Beat Forming the soul of every matsuri, or Japanese festival, taiko drumming has an irreplaceable existence at Niseko’s vibrant summer festivals. WORDS: VICTORIA YAP
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Summer 2019
T
HE DYNAMIC PERFORMANCES can be heard reverberating through the entire town and will always be a moment etched into Niseko summer memories. The familiar rhythmic beat is performed by Koryu, Yotei Daiko Serve Association. Formed to preserve the musical art, the taiko drumming group was founded by the late Master Taiko drummer Rokuro Takada, lovingly known as Roku san. Toshio Yabuki, who was a close friend of Roku san and an organiser of the group, strives to keep the legacy of the Taiko Master alive through Koryu and the story behind the famous Taiko song, Yotei Daiko. “Yotei Daiko is an original Taiko song composed by Roku san. The beat and movements are meant to illustrate the preparation of hiking Mt Yotei through the seasons, the hardship then overcoming this and feeling victorious at the end,” Yabuki says.