Yamato Drummers of Japan

Yamato, one of Japan’s taiko drum ensembles, celebrates its 25th anniversary this season. After starting their day by running 10 miles, its 12 drummers travel the world with several dozen of Japan’s traditional Wadaiko drums, from the small Shime-Daiko to the giant O-Daiko, made from a huge tree over 400 years old and weighing more than 500kg. Since the dawn of history, the beat of taiko is the sound of Japan itself and the Japanese people, resounding at Shinto rituals and festivals in every part of the nation. Its performers are infused with the idea that the drumbeat, like the heartbeat, is the very pulse of life.