Emily in Ise
Nihon Taiko Matsuri with Gocoo, Tawoo and dragons
*Disclaimer: I am a native English speaker purely speaking about my own experiences. I’m excited that this substack has made international reach, but sometimes I use strange words and phrases. If you are reading this through AI translation, some ideas, words, and nuances may not be correct in your language. Please ask if you have any questions.
*If you click on the photos directly on the substack website, you can see full photos.
Nihon Taiko Matsuri = Ise Taiko Matsuri = Okage Yokohco Taiko Matsuri. Yes, it’s another taiko festival (matsuri) with various selected groups from all over Japan. And like usual fare warning, I will be writing in my own voice expressing my own experience because AI can suc— cool it Emily. No need for profanity.
Also non taiko people, there are cool pics and vids, and life lessons. A lot of taiko talk, but I promise you’ll find some things worth looking at and reading.
This 21 year old festival takes place in the prefecture of Mie, city of Ise, in the area of Okage Yokocho (think Edo period pilgrimage haven). All of this is very close to the main Ise Jingu Naiku (shrine), which is also known to be one of the most spiritual places in Japan. There were a few performance areas, such as at the Taiko Tower in Okage Yokocho, as well as a large stage along a river, and more.
A while ago, I used to watch youtube clips from this festival. After a failed attempt at starting a collegiate taiko group, I would crave taiko in anticipation for summer break to perform with Ho Etsu Taiko. I also relied on these videos as a mental break from the microaggressions and racism on campus as one of the few non white kids, and continue to rely on these videos as a break from everything going on in the world.
But when I first started watching, I didn’t know much about this festival besides some kind of affiliation to “Tanto House.” And if you click on that link, it’ll lead you to a youtube page in Japanese, which was easy to understand in pre-google translate days. Flash forward, I extended my visa because Kaoly san and crew were headlining, and I could also perform! This was the first time they’ve been invited, and for other reasons, it was truly momentous.
Pinch me.
The festival took place for 2 days and was sponsored by Akafuku, Ise’s famous mochi with an (red bean paste) on top, and was led by this year’s producer, Taishi Yamabe.
Of course there were incredible groups and individuals, including Riko Hirata, a young taiko player with amazing technical ability that I had been following on IG since covid lockdown began. I fangirled over many skilled groups with beautiful kata, crisp sound, and musical precision. It goes without saying that everyone had tremendous talent and going to events like this are important if you want to see some of the best taiko in Japan. A few clips to scroll through on IG:
However, looking at the festival through the lens of a non-obsessed taiko viewer, many of the taiko groups started to blend together in similarity. In order to differentiate them, I compared the groups’ skills to decide who is the “best.” In this scenario, I feel that I’ve stopped fully enjoying taiko in a festival, but rather enjoying and judging. When something is different, whether it be in appearance, sound, or vibe, it’s appealing and breaks this competitive feel and allowed me to return to the concept of matsuri. Please don’t take this to be a good or bad thing, just my own thoughts.
Perhaps when over 40 members of Gocoo and Tawoo took the stage in halter crop tops and dancing, we broke the competitive feel for other viewers’ who may have had a similar feeling. (Look at those IG clips for a visual and audio feel). There were 4 performances (Tawoo Dojo performed in 3 of them), and I’d like to share a few reflections and life lessons for further explanation:
Life lesson #89: Connect. Play out and touch someone. It’ll make both of you feel good.
While playing along the river, there was a bridge about a quarter mile away with pedestrians. In the most Tawooo way possible, I tried to sing out to them while performing, waiting to see if I could grab their attention.
In another piece, we danced into the audience and I was greeted by a group of smiling, adorable old women who were dancing in their seats. I let them play my uchiwa (hand drum). I also let a few children in the audience play it. Their eyes grew brighter as they played along to the live rhythms in front of them.
Although I always prefer to perform, I’m grateful that I only watched Gocoo at the Taiko Tower, because it was fascinating to witness the palpable vibe shift. Kaoly san was literally asking people to dance. Admittedly, some people left or moved to the back, but some people, tried to get closer, started smiling, and started grooving, bopping, swaying, and jumping.
When I was performing with Ho Etsu, we were trying to figure out ways to involve the audience and make them feel like they’re with us, not just watching us. I think Gocoo and Tawoo have really found a way that works well for them: Let the people dance, and have a good time. Let them touch and play the taiko. But truly, the concept of “just enjoy yourself” is directed to both the audience and the performer, and that’s the magic piece that makes someone feel good.
Life lesson #201: You’re not on drugs. You actually might have seen a dragon.
Hear me out. Ise is known to be one of the most spiritual places in Japan. (Click on that Okage Yokocho link if you haven’t already). As we were the first group to kick off the festival, the morning clouds overlooking the river were incredibly orange with a pink underbrush. During set up, I noticed a dragon going through the clouds, but didn’t really think anything of it. I had gotten up at 4:45 am to visit a nearby powerful shrine that morning, as you do, so I figured I just had some sleepy eyes.
And then Kaoly san explained at the end of the last performance, a local Ise woman introduced herself and expressed her shock at the dragon that appeared only during our performance. She expressed that spiritually, Ise needed Gocoo and Tawoo. This stranger who we had just met for the first time was so moved, that she met us the next day at 5:00 am to take us on a tour of Ise Jingu Naiku, the most powerful shrine, and yet again, those pink and orange clouds appeared. Although I didn’t see any dragons this time around, Kaoly san mentioned that this type of colored cloud is very important for Japan and its spirits.
Okay, maybe I lost most of you at this point, but perhaps when taken seriously, these spiritual events occur in areas of ancient history that can’t be explained by science and western reasoning. And as a former health care worker who enjoys biomechanics, I have to ask myself is western reasoning the only way to justify occurrences that exist halfway across the world with centuries of history? Truly, this is something I often internally fight because I loves scientific reasoning, but also I also love criticizing western imperialism and understanding that the world is older than we can comprehend.
Life lesson #2: You’re a lucky girl.
This is kind of a joke. I had to run to catch my ride home with Gocoo because I had just missed the bus. It would’ve been a 45 minute walk, but as I’m lowkey sadistic, I was happy to run. However, another Gocoo member, who was driving separately, saw me running, pulled over, and told me to jump in saying “you’re a lucky girl.”
Was I? Maybe I intentionally missed the bus so I could squeeze in some exercise in preparation for a long car ride home. Maybe I wanted some alone time and some fresh air to reflect on the weekend. Also, maybe I could’ve said no, I don’t need a ride.
But they were right about one thing, I’m pretty lucky to have a group of good, supportive people who are looking out for me. Perhaps this is part of the underlying component of the taiko philosophy I came here in search of.
And there’s a good chance that you, dear reader, are also one of those people that have given me luck. Thank you.
OH, AND FOOD. DUH, AKAFUKU MOCHI:
Also, if you know someone who might appreciate this substack, please pass it on. Whether it be a friend, a taiko group, a musician, a teacher, or a neighbor that makes nice pies, please pass this their way. Come December, I hope to post a bit more frequently, and I’ll let you know if I see more dragons.
As my students say, that’s it.
Thanks Emily for sharing such amazing experiences 🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰