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In many Japanese festival, there are usually percussion instruments such as drums to help stir up the festive spirits. For Today’s Japan Photo, we are going to examine the Japanese Taiko 太鼓.

This shot of the taiko drummer with such an interesting expression was taken by Jeff Henig.

The history of Taiko is interwoven in the fabric of Japanese history. Regarded as sacred since ancient times, the drum was first used to drive away evil spirits and pests harmful to crops. It was believed that by imitating the sound of thunder, the spirit of rain would be forced into action. At harvest time, Taiko was joyfully played in thanks for a bountiful crop.