Traditional Drums from Tottori

The traditional Japanese taiko drum originates in the town of Nichinan in the Hino region of south-western Tottori Prefecture; we cannot be sure why drum-making started here, but the favourable location maybe a key factor. Nichinan lies by the River Hino, one of the prefecture’s three great rivers, in the glorious natural setting of the 1000 metre high Chūgoku Mountain Range, with easily accessible supplies of cowhide and zelkova wood required to produce drums. It is also close to the prefectural boundary, so ideally located to transport products to customer bases.

The traditional drum-making process uses no man-made no chemicals, employing only natural materials. This requires a huge investment of time and labour but results in a distinctive, natural product. Consistently sticking with this approach over several generations has produced the taiko drum we know today.

In was in the Middle Ages that taiko for music performances began to enter Japan from the Asian continent. They subsequently took on very important role in various settings like shrine and temple festivals, and the performing arts. In recent years, a great many taiko drumming groups have sprung up around the country.

The wood to be used is cut down in winter. This is because if the trees are felled in summer, when they are growing, they have many insect holes in them and it is difficult reduce the water content. Wood with a high water content is prone to crack or break, so the felled logs are dried out for at least 10 years before use.

The inside of the log is hollowed out. This is a crucial part of the process which will affect the sound. The wood taken from the centre will be used to make a smaller drum, so many large and small drums are created from a single tree.

After washing away any residual meat with water, the hide is left to soak in a solution for about a month, speeding up the process of hair removal.

The cowhide varies in thickness, so must be evened out to make sure the drum’s sound is consistent. The drum-maker uses a tool called kawakanna to create a uniform thickness.

The exact stretch of the skin determines the quality and pitch of the sound. Once the skin is fixed to the barrel with rivets, the sound of the drum can no longer be altered. At this stage, the aim is not to achieve the best possible sound right now, but to ensure the sound quality will be preserved for decades to come. Creating a taiko drum whose sound will mature with use is a delicate process.

A taiko-maker’s role is not just producing new drums. Most of the work currently involves repairing broken or out-of-condition instruments. Artisans can also adjust a drum to achieve a particular kind of sound. The very important job of taking the taiko drum, a historical treasure of its region, into the future: this also presents a tremendous opportunity to learn the skills of ancient craftsmen.

In 2001 Mr. Ohe set up, and leads, the Oku-Hino Taiko performance group, which aims to interest more people in taiko drumming.