[Traditional Performing Arts] 45th Anniversary of the Founding of the Sagami Ryuo Taiko Preservation Society: Connecting Japanese Drums with the Dance of the Dragon

Sagamihara City in Kanagawa Prefecture is a city where the sounds of taiko drums, a percussion instrument that has been passed down in Japan since ancient times, resonate. There are groups and high school taiko drum clubs that are based in the city. The "Sagami Ryuo Taiko Preservation Society" is a historic team that continues to fascinate audiences with its creative taiko drumming and dragon dance performances. This time, we interviewed Takumi Kubota, who became the third chairman in June 2024, Katsuyuki Onishi, the former chairman and advisor, and Ryoma Watanuki of the youth division.

After the commemorative concert

On June 29, 2024, the Sagami Ryuo Taiko Preservation Society (hereinafter referred to as Ryuo Taiko) held its "45th Anniversary Concert" at the Sagamihara Civic Hall Grand Hall.

—Congratulations on your 45th anniversary. Could you tell us about the background behind this charity performance to support the recovery efforts after the Noto Peninsula earthquake?

Kubota: We, the Ryuo Taiko group, hold a milestone concert every five years. This time, we wanted to send a message of support to the Noto Peninsula, which was hit by disaster, together with everyone who has been supporting us. The performance was free to attend, and we accepted donations of 1,000 yen per person on the day of the concert. We are grateful for the encouragement and support we received from so many people.

—That's wonderful. What kind of members are currently active in Ryuo Taiko?

The Kubota group has about 40 members, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 4:6. It is divided into four sections: the "Boys' Section" for elementary school students and younger, the "Youth Section" for junior high school students and older, the "Koraku Section" mainly for parents, and the "Koyu Section" for veteran members. Except for the Koyu Section, each section practices once a week for about two hours.

In addition to their anniversary concert, Kubota Ryuo Taiko plans to perform at several competitions and tournaments throughout the year. They are also sometimes invited to perform at local events and festivals such as summer festivals. The performers and structure of the performances are planned based on the venue and performance time, but recently, the younger members of the youth division, which has about 20 members, have been taking the lead in these events.

The entire 45th anniversary concert was handled by Ryoma Watanuki, who is also the leader of the youth division. He was determined to surpass the previous concert, which was the best ever, and I'm sure there were many challenges, but he created a stage full of ingenuity.

Let the "adult drums" resound.

—What do you find appealing about Ryuo Taiko, Mr. Watanuki?

Watanuki has been playing Japanese drums since he was three or four years old, and for high school, he went to Komei Gakuen Sagamihara High School in his hometown of Sagamihara City, which has a Japanese drum club. The club was very active and he gained experience in competitions, but high school drumming is different. Not only is the song selection different, but the drumming technique is also different, so the "sound" is different.

To use an analogy , if high school taiko drumming is like upbeat pop music, then Ryuo Taiko is like soulful enka music. Ryoma is the same age as my eldest son, and I think that's why I feel that way, because he has a lot of experience.

—I see. From your perspective, Mr. Onishi, what did you think of the 45th anniversary concert that Mr. Watanuki produced?

I think Onishi did a great job. Last time, for the 40th anniversary, I was at the center of the project as chairman, but this time I was in a position to watch over them. It was reassuring to see them being led by people I've known since they were little. Of course, Ryoma is great, but Chairman (Kubota) Takumi has also gained experience with Ryuo Taiko. The founder was his great-uncle.

Watanuki: I've been here for about 20 years now, so I've increasingly found myself in a supporting role. The youth group's main members are university students in their early twenties, and there's a turnover due to lifestyle changes such as finding jobs or moving. From now on, I'd like to use social media and other platforms to further promote Ryuo Taiko.

With the dragon by my side, I move powerfully towards the future.

—In addition to their Japanese drum performances, Ryuo Taiko is also known for their dragon dance performances.

It all started when our predecessor, Onishi , was captivated by the scale of "Orochi," a popular performance from Shimane Prefecture's "Iwami Kagura," and combined it with our own original taiko drumming. The three Orochi (dragons) we have today were brought from the region and we use them with great care.

Kubota operates one dragon by himself, but only three or four people in the team have mastered that technique. It's an essential part of the dynamic performance that is characteristic of Ryuo Taiko, so I hope we can pass on the skills of handling the dragons to future generations.

On October 20, 2024, we will be performing at the "Taiko Festival" (organized by the Sagamihara City Taiko Federation / Sagamihara Civic Hall, Main Hall / performance starts at 13:00). We are currently planning the staging and will be creating a highlight scene for the dragon, so please look forward to it.

Onishi: In recent years, the number of people enjoying Japanese taiko drumming has increased, bringing a lot of energy to the scene. However, with so many professional groups around, I feel that opportunities for teams like Ryuo Taiko to showcase their skills have become limited. We plan to continue our activities, mainly with younger members, by sharing information on social media, so please continue to support us.

Text by Mai Shimura (editor/writer)

Sagami Ryuo Taiko Preservation Society
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