Our taiko group, Hoshi Daiko, went to Hiroshima this past Sunday for two performances at an outdoor cultural thing. I was really worried that I didn't have enough cash to get me there and back, plus food, but it turns out the entire trip was FREE. Free private bus ride, free lunches, drinks, and snacks provided for us... And it was sooooo fun to take this trip with the group! Yoshie, the girl nearest to my age (she's 20) noted that this group is made of "kodomo to ogisan" ("kids and old men"), but I dont' really miss not having agemates around. I love the kids and the others are really nice, and fun too, so it's all good. Great great day.
Nagisa (8th grade at Kubo - I mis-printed her name as Nagesachi before. My bad) doing the X and 4th grader Akana (I think) beside her. In the background is 5th grader Saia playing her gameboy. These kids, young as they are, have all mastered some incredibly long and complicated songs. So impressive.
Saia and Nagisa smile.
The front row in the ready-position before they spring into action! Those uniforms are so cool-looking. The wristbands, the shirts, the ninja-pants, the "tabi" shoes (if you enlarge the pic, you can see the girls wearing them). These shoes are worn more like those water-shoes with rubber soles. They are wrapped onto your foot a certain way so that it fits your foot like a glove and grips the ground very well. It is also the standard footware of construction workers in Japan; quite the opposite of the clunky steel-toed boots of Canadian construction workers.
Far left is Nagisa and Chika beside her. I asked Chika one time how long she's be playing taiko. NINE YEARS she said. No wonder she's so good. You can also see the massive bass drum in the background.
Yoshie playing the flute for a piece called "Ibuki" which is long, but one that I've nearly learned. I actually did not drum today because I didn't feel I knew it well enough, but they said everyone makes a few mistakes through every performance and nobody notices anyways, so I probably could've done it. They are all very supportive.
This guy and his monkey were one of the acts of the festival.
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