Taiko

For the last several months, I have been part of a taiko group-- traditional Japanese drumming. Taiko is one of the things I knew I wanted to do before coming to Japan. I'd seen it back in Minnesota, and I loved the rhythms and the little wooden flute and the way the drums are so loud you can feel them reverberating in your chest. Plus, since graduating college (and thus leaving behind the band in which I played flute) I've missed playing music with other people.

Taiko is like nothing I've ever done before. Even if I'd been a percussion player in band, which I wasn't, it would be totally different. It's a full-body activity. All of you moves with the rhythm-- it's part drumming and part dance. It's a good workout, too.

Taiko is also a challenge. I've always been better at reading music than memorizing it, so learning songs entirely by ear is hard for me. I actually wrote out the rhythm to one of the songs just so I could see it on paper, though it makes no sense without an explanation. I'm also not great at memorizing movements, as I don't have much experience with things like dance and martial arts.

I love my taiko group. Everyone teaches me, down to the youngest kid, who's in first grade. One of the main lessons I've gotten out of every children's book ever is that you shouldn't underestimate kids. They have just as much to teach as anyone else. Certainly, I've found that to be true in Japan. These children have been teaching me both Japanese and taiko, and I'm grateful for it.

Today I had my first taiko performance. I did make some mistakes, but I did it, and I'm proud of myself. I'm also proud of Jesse and the really talented kids we played with.

Thanks for reading!

Lian

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

Last weekend (February 4-11), I went to the Nagasaki Lantern Festival.

Nagasaki is one of the most international cities in Japan. When Japan was closed to most outside countries, it still traded with China and the Netherlands via its port in Nagasaki. Because of that, Nagasaki developed a culture that is more international than much of Japan. As evidence, the two most famous foods from Nagasaki are chanpon, a noodle dish that originated in China, and Castella, a cake that was brought by Portuguese merchants.

While most Japanese people celebrate New Year’s at the same time as we do, Nagasaki’s big New Year festival aligns with the Lunar New Year (what we call the Chinese New Year in America). Over the last twenty years or so the festival has grown, and now it is renowned for having over 15,000 lanterns, attracting people from all over Japan and beyond.

The festival has a variety of attractions. The lanterns themselves are quite a sight, especially at night. I also got a glimpse of Chinese acrobats (one did a handstand on top of a giant pile of chairs) and a dragon dance, in which participants dance while holding a large dragon on sticks, which is chasing a golden ball. I also heard the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument, and ate some delicious food. My favorite was called momo manjuu, which means something like “peach dumpling.” The name is a bit misleading; the steamed dumpling is decorated to look like a peach, but it actually contains anko, sweet red bean paste.

This festival is definitely something for which pictures are better than words. It’s truly breathtaking, and I recommend going if you ever get a chance. If you do, though, bear in mind that there are huge crowds. I was fortunate to be able to stay with my host family, who live in Nagasaki City. For one thing, hotels probably would have been very expensive, and parking a hassle; but the main reason is that my host family is incredible. I enjoyed talking to the parents and grandparents and playing with the little kids just as much as I enjoyed seeing the lanterns!

All in all, a great trip. Thanks to Erin and Emily for coming with me!

Thank you for reading,

Lian