History 

   Taiko was developed in Japan over 1500 years ago and is still practiced today.  It was influenced by other countries and had many similar uses with those countries' cultures.  The Japanese taiko instruments were highly influenced by other Asian cultures and bear close resemblance to Chinese and Korean instruments.  From 300-900 A.D., there were many "waves" of cultural influence from these two countries.  It is also speculated that the concept of Taiko came from India and was brought along with Buddhism.  The cultural influence stopped around 900 A.D.and from then on, the Taiko was attributed to native Japanese craftsmen.  

    The first known use of the Taiko in Japanese history was to set boundaries.  Someone would play the Taiko in the middle of the village and the farthest points that it could be heard were then considered to be the boundaries of that village.  Taiko was also used in religious ceremonies.  It kept the beat when the priests were reciting their mantras.  It was also used to scare away the bad spirits.  In the 1500's the Taiko was used in the battlefield.  It was one of the only instruments that could be heard across an entire battlefield.  It was used to intimidate and scare their enemies away.  The Taiko was also used to issue commands and to coordinate battle movements.

     Today, Taiko has become a popular international art form.  Two forms of Taiko have combined to form the present popularity.  They are the Osuwa Daiko style developed in 1951 and the Sukeroku Daiko style developed in 1959.  These styles combined to form "kumi-daiko" or "ensemble taiko."  Kumi-daiko incorporated jazz beats along with the traditional taiko beats.  It also allowed the players to be more creative and helped them break from tradition.  This style also utilized the different sizes of taiko and accompanying percussion instruments to create beautiful and original sounds and songs.

     Over the years, kumi-daiko has immigrated to different parts of the world.  There are over 4000 groups in Japan that perform this style of taiko.  Other countries such as the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and South America have also adopted taiko and added their own cultural styles to it.  Presently, Maui Taiko is one of over 150 groups in the United States.  Attending a taiko performance is an experience in tradition, style, sound, aesthetics, technique, color, and choreography.