Emily in Chiba Part 2: Narita Taiko Matsuri and Hyuga Forest
Life lesson #48: let go and trust your friends
Hope you read the first part! If not, go back and check it out here:
Emily in Chiba Part 1: Terada Honke
I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of my time in various parts of Chiba one +weekend, a prefecture close to Tokyo in Japan. Not everything is directly taiko related, but things that I think can apply. Terada Honke in Kozaki-ku is a 24th generational sake (Japanese fermented rice alcohol) company and within the last 20ish years switched to Edo style br…
I met a woman, who lives close to Narita (town in Chiba prefecture) at one of Chieko Kojima’s workshops. The woman, Kyoko san, invited me to stay at her place and join her at the Narita Taiko Festival, a 2 day festival with over 800 performers.
In the town of Narita along Ometosando (a street with many shops and such), you would typically find multiple stages in parking lots or at temples with taiko from all over Japan. It rained the first day, so all performances were moved into 2 schools, but the second day, they were able to have the +800 performers participate in an opening ceremony at the local Temple that features each group who play a short excerpt.
(Next 2 paragraph, lots of Taiko verbiage)
Some brief highlights: there were many groups from around the country and with that, brought new styles, sounds, and visuals I’d never seen before. Ranging from traditional Chiba styles, Choshi Hanedaiko, where old men end up being pushed onto the ground, to high schools’ versions on classic pieces. There were groups from Kagoshima and all women groups like Usagi Taiko with a different take on naname that resembled what I’ve seen with Tawoo. I got to see another new friend on stage playing Miyake-jima Kamitsuki Mikoshi Daiko lessons and got to see her perform. And the big highlight was seeing small group version of KODO up close.
I would call Kyoko san and her taiko people, who are part of the Kogumi High School fan club and KODO fanatics, seasoned Narita Taiko Matsuri experts. Actually, Kyoko san’s son is an alum of this high school and currently a KODO apprentice in his second year. Because everything was moved indoors, she and her friends came to the school about 2 hours beforehand to grab front row chairs that I am forever grateful for.
At the end of the evening, KODO and Miyake Geinou Doushikai did a collaborative performance and switched back and forth in performing. KODO had one of their hira odaiko (the super big drum) on ground level. Typically, I think odaiko isn’t interesting to watch (I’d rather play it), but my god. KODO’s level of power and control is unmatched. They don’t just hit the drum with all of their might, rather they pull out an energy or sound wave that just swallows you whole while producing a traveling deep tone with just the right volume that doesn’t break your eardrum. It’s like an energized hug that can bring you to tears. There’s a reason why they’re internationally known. I’ve seen KODO perform in orchestral halls in America, but I never quite felt this experience before and I think it was because I could be in the front row.
The next day, Kyoko san and I originally had plans to go to Kiyari Matsuri in Hyuga Forest in the morning, a festival put on by Terada Honke (the sake brewery from last time), Charcoal and Axe (a forest restoration organization for the Hyuga Forest), and Gocoo. The events consisted of helping pull a tree from deep in the forest, eat the local foods and drink sake, and then watch GOCOO and exist in the good vibes of nature. Terada Honke staff knew I’d be there, as well as Gocoo/ Tawoo crew. We had tickets reserved and they knew we were going. However while watching the opening ceremony from last year’s Narita Taiko Matsuri over breakfast, Kyoko san suggested we change course and go there instead. To me, watching it online seemed chaotic. It was many varying levels of experience trying to play the same thing but not being able to achieve one sound. I didn’t really see the appeal and wondered if I’d disappoint the people that knew I’d be coming.
Life lesson #48, let go and trust your friends.
Of course Kyoko san’s taiko crew rolls up hours early to reserve seats on the temple stairs to get the best view possible. You can look up videos of the opening ceremony online, where every group is introduced and play a short excerpt. At the end, they play the same thing led by Chiba Choshi Hanedaiko.
What you don’t get on video is the +800 energy waves from player-to-taiko units being sent at you. By the time these individual waves hit you, it’s formed into one giant wave, not just a bunch of chaotic loud noises that I was expecting. Perhaps it was the temple grounds and the spirits there, or maybe the infrastructure and acoustics of the space replicates a concert hall. Or maybe it was my first time having +800 taiko coming at me all at once. Whatever it was, it brought me to tears.
Although we missed the main event of the tree pulling at the forest, we still got to have a late lunch and see Gocoo perform. I’ve been to the forest a handful of times now, and it has taken me a few times to understand the meaningfulness of it. They make the food from the things growing in the forest, and the tree they pulled out will be made into an oke that Terada Honke will use to make sake. That oke will then be gifted to Kaoly san and made into an okedo for her to use. Full cycle. Everyone there is smiling and always making sure you’re not hungry or thirsty. It’s the necessary magical forest for the taiko group to reset.
Also at the very end, THE Tiffany Tamaribushi (the American taiko legend) appeared with her friend which led to conversations in Kyoko san’s car.
So Terada Honke, Narita Taiko Matsuri, and Hyugo Forest. What do these have in common?
“We must strive to stay humble, lead a beautiful life, be caring and friendly, be ourselves, and try to do things in ways that make us happy rather than what may be right.” -Terada Honke
Or in the words of my friend Eriko: “You should do what you want.”
Of course I wish I could be in 2 different places simultaneously, and I would be lying if I said I felt the duty to be at the forest early, but I can’t stop expressing how stark the difference of watching online vs. experiencing Narita Taiko Matsuri in-person is and how moving it is. It’s like being showered with power that’s within each individual connecting with their taiko. I’m also a foreigner who wants exposure to taiko that I don’t have easy access to. I can’t say I’ll ever go to Kagoshima to see taiko, and it’s rare for me to come across as many high school groups as I did in one weekend.
And despite being a self proclaimed introvert, hold your laughter, I’m interested in community and human connections. The Kiyari Matsuri is the definition of community, but fortunately, through these travels I built a friendship and had deep conversations with Kyoko san. And although I usually say all I want to do is play taiko, creating this connection has become of the most memorable parts of the weekend.
Oh, and food! Besides the food from the forest, I had to enjoy unagi, eel, while in Narita as it’s the local specialty. Enjoy this photo from a restaurant after Day 1 of the festival:
As my English learning students say, “That’s it.”