Japanese taiko drum performer Hana Ogawa of the Kodo troupe posing for a photo after a performance on Sado island. Japanese taiko drumming is a musical form with roots in religious rituals, traditional theatre and the joyous abandon of seasonal festivals called matsuri. Photo: AFP
In a hall on Japan's Sado island, 71-year-old Yoshikazu Fujimoto strikes the imposing drum mounted before him, producing a boom so powerful that it reverberates through the floorboards.
Fujimoto is a veteran performer of Japanese taiko drumming, a musical form with roots in religious rituals, traditional theatre and the joyous abandon of seasonal festivals called matsuri.
Taiko drums, Japan
Japanese taiko drum performer Hana Ogawa of the Kodo troupe posing for a photo after a performance on Sado island. Japanese taiko drumming is a musical form with roots in religious rituals, traditional theatre and the joyous abandon of seasonal festivals called matsuri. Photo: AFP
Craftspeople working on the renovation of a Japanese taiko drum at the Miyamoto Unosuke workshop in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
At 71, Fujimoto is the oldest of the 37 musicians that make up the group, which recruits members through a rigorous two-year training programme. Photo: AFP
Japanese taiko drum performers of the Kodo troupe warming up before a performance on Sado island. Photo: AFP
Japanese taiko drum performers of the Kodo troupe waving to the crowd after a performance on Sado island. Photo: AFP
Skins for Japanese taiko drum seen at the Miyamoto Unosuke workshop in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Handmade nails used to secure the skin of Japanese taiko drums at the Miyamoto Unosuke workshop in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
A craftsperson working on the renovation of a Japanese taiko drum at the Miyamoto Unosuke workshop in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
A craftsman explaining writing the dates of each renovation inside the barrel of a Japanese taiko drum at the Miyamoto Unosuke workshop in Tokyo. Photo: AFP
Japanese taiko drum performer Hana Ogawa of the Kodo troupe warming up before a performance on Sado island. Photo: AFP
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