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.
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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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