Taiko in Tokyo – Japanese drumming lessons your family will love.
Updated: Oct 24, 2018
If you’re travelling to Tokyo any time soon, know that you’re in for a treat. Named the world’s most satisfying city for travel in a 2013 poll by TripAdvisor and continuing to grow in popularity, Tokyo is a treasure trove of frequently-visited and wonderful, lesser-known attractions. Most times, our three mini- globetrotters loved the spectacular sights and sounds as much as my husband and I did; other times they dragged their feet and wanted to do things more in line with their young interests. Sound familiar?
Wondering what to do in Tokyo with kids? Sign your family up for a Taiko lesson! Taiko is an ancient Japanese form of percussion using large drums. Unlike any other kind of music in the world, Taiko playing is loud, hard and fast. It gets you moving and dancing as you beat drums huge and small, it gets you working up a sweat, and it gives kids and adults a euphoric high.
After a visit to the not-to-be-missed Senso-Ji temple (Tokyo’s oldest temple) we headed over to a nearby studio called Taiko Centre (http://www.taiko-center.co.jp/english/). With a range of drums to suit children and adults of all ages, we were taught the basic techniques of Taiko by a phenomenal teacher who spoke very little English. There was a translator on hand too but actually, it was easy to understand what the teacher wanted us to do. It was all about rhythm and imitation. Easy to understand but not so easy to do, mind! This is a full-on work out, which - despite the fact that we were all sweaty and exhausted afterward – our kids age 4, 10 and 11 loved.
At the end of the lesson, we performed what we had learned dressed in traditional wear. It was a proud family moment we’ll treasure forever. The staff were friendly and helpful, which made the experience all the more special.
Given the seal of approval by every member of our family, I say don’t miss a beat: try Taiko!
For more kid-friendly fun on the go, check out our latest title, Enjoy Tokyo
https://www.enjoycitizz.com/enjoy-tokyo