Where to see Taiko drummers

[BermudaMom]

My husband and I have started to look into cruises for next year and Japan is tops on his list.  He particularly wants to see the Taiko (I think sometimes called Kodo) drummers.  Any recommendations on what ports we'd have most luck with this?  And, does anyone know of any particular cruise line that offers any excursions to specifically see them?  Thanks for any advice!

[BruceMuzz]

Taiko Drummers in Japan are like High School marching bands in America.

They are everywhere.

 

Unlike most countries, Japan ports typically have lavish welcome and farewell ceremonies on the pier for all cruise ships.

Very often, those ceremonies include Taiko drummers.

 

If your ship calls at 7 Japanese ports, you can expect to see and hear the drummers on the pier at least 4 of those ports.

[Philob]

There are a lot of high school marching bands in Japan too.

[bonsai3s]

On 1/2/2019 at 10:02 AM, BruceMuzz said:

Taiko Drummers in Japan are like High School marching bands in America.

They are everywhere.

 

Unlike most countries, Japan ports typically have lavish welcome and farewell ceremonies on the pier for all cruise ships.

Very often, those ceremonies include Taiko drummers.

 

If your ship calls at 7 Japanese ports, you can expect to see and hear the drummers on the pier at least 4 of those ports.

Absolutely agree with BruceMuzz.

 

If you are stopping in Yokohama, (our favorite cruise terminal) please make sure you are outside your balcony or outside facing the port when you enter and leave the port.

 

As BruceMuzz said, we experienced the MOST wonderful welcome and farewell ceremonies from the Yokohama port.  Taiko Drummers...yes!  Dancers...yes!  Singers...yes!  Not to mention hundreds of locals waving international flags.

 

And oh, they have the most courteous and helpful people inside the port.

[tamadig2001]

I don't know if this response is too late, but if your husband is really into taiko and wants to see a professional performance, I would recommend "Mangekyo" which is a 70-minute long show featuring not only taiko, but other musical instruments and also some energetic dancing and acrobatics. We saw it in Tokyo recently and even my husband, who was skeptical at first, enjoyed it tremendously. The show is held at the Alternative Theatre in Yurakucho, which is a stone's throw from Tokyo Station, and tickets are 8500 yen p.p., which is around US$75. If you have a couple of days pre or post cruise, you could include it in your itinerary. They have afternoon shows too so if you have a day in Tokyo you could easily make it. Here's their official website.

https://mangekyo-tokyo.com/en/

[loeb]

something to consider is a cruise to 4 of the major festivals in Japan on the Diamond Princess.  The cruise is at the end of July (typically the worse time to go to Japan because it is hot and humid).  There are dance performances with Taiko drums at most of the festivals like the Nebuta festival at Aomori or the festival in Tokushima.  As Bruce indicated, most of the ports have  welcome entertainment that includes taiko drums.

 

here is a video on the 2018 festival

 

We went into the towns in the morning to look around and then went back to the ship for lunch and to wait until the late afternoon when it starts to cool down.  The festivals start in the late afternoon and for some you can purchase advance seats to watch the performances.