What I'm doing

Get to know some personal background info on what prompted me to come to Tokyo.

During my transformative years of taiko playing in Chicago, I developed the impression that there were about 4-5 aspirational wadaiko groups in Japan. I thought that failing was not being able to play taiko the same way that they do, and I was bastardizing traditional values and music. Perhaps this was a mix of my own identity crisis as an easily influenced, fourth generation Japanese American child who couldn’t speak a lick of the language. Although this belief is not the case today across the broad North American taiko community, and personally I’ve come far from that belief, I’m embarrassed to say that I still had a hard time fully accepting this. After +20 years of long hours, shows across the country, and many incredible mentors and teachers, I sometimes feel like I’m appropriating something that I can’t confidently say I know.

Despite all the emotional baggage shiz, I love taiko and cannot get enough of it. I tried to find every excuse not to pursue it further in Japan. I’ve had influential taiko people who’ve encouraged me to do so, but I remembered only the stories of why I shouldn’t. I have financial constipation. I stink at learning languages. I don’t want to live in a severe patriarchal, hierarchical society. I don’t want to have another identity crisis as someone with Japanese blood, but culturally 4 generations away.

So what changed? Like so many of us, I had my own pandemic awakening. I met the right person, Kaoly Asano, and through taiko and KaDON, I’m fortunate to have an incredibly supportive community. (Oh, and I went to therapy.)

Youtube link to the KaDON retreat with Kaoly Asano

Jokes aside, with the help of Kaoly san and KaDON member Aya Yoshida, the process took about 9 months to birth a cultural activities visa. I’m here for one year in Tokyo, and although I may look Japanese, I can’t speak like one.  

So SMASH THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON if you’re healing your toxic relationship with something you’re passionate about. Also subscribe if you enjoy sarcasm, a type of comedy that doesn’t translate well in Japan!

In all honesty, follow along as I learn more about the transformative taiko philosophies through Kaoly Asano + her ensemble GOCOO + the taiko people of TAWOO dojo and what it’s like to live in Japan as an ex-pat through the guidance of the “crazies” in Tokyo. It’s been an adventure so far, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Oh, and food! Let’s talk about food! Someone once told me that there is a greater percentage of bakeries in Tokyo than compared to Paris. I could not find any supporting facts on the interwebs, but subjectively I would’ve believed it. I have about 5 bakeries in a 5 minute walking distance from my home (more if I walk faster). In my first week, I ate more sandwiches than rice. Why? It can be trendy, cheap, and quick. I was so mad that I was eating more sandwiches and bread than noodles and rice my first week here, but it’s also just purely out of convenience. If you were in the situation between a fresh onigiri with a teaspoon of meat you cannot see vs a sandwich roll with filling spilling out for less than a dollar apart, which one would you choose? You can sense my bias, but I hope you can understand my point.