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About Us

L.A. Taiko Ichiza is a premier Japanese taiko drum ensemble, seeking to raise the level of intensity and enjoyment of taiko for ourselves, as well as the audience, by striving for a high level of group unity. We are dedicated to the advancement of the art of taiko drumming with a deep respect for traditional Japanese culture and spirit.

 

We specialize in the naname (slant) style, which is also known as Sukeroku style. 

 

The name Ichiza means “one unity” - through our powerful sounds and performance, we strive to create the sense of "oneness" with the audience.

 

Our style is described as one with powerful sounds, challenging techniques, exciting movements, and visual presentation like no other. We value not only the technical aspects of taiko, but the discipline, etiquette and spirit of the drum which are equally important elements of learning taiko. Members also learn taiko building and maintenance skills.

 

Our group performs at various events throughout the year. Public performances include the LA Marathon, Anime Expo, Japanese Heritage Night at Dodgers Stadium, US Sumo Open, and Nisei Week. We also perform at private/corporate events such as those for Sapporo USA and Asian World Film Festival.

 

We also offer programs, classes, and workshops for a variety of audiences and experience levels, including those for children and young adults with special needs. In addition to our seasonal public classes, like our annual marathon class, we also hold workshops at schools, summer camps, churches, senior homes, and company off-sites.

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Original Compositions by Members

L.A. Taiko Ichiza performs original pieces composed by its members. While we respect Japanese tradition and the group’s identity/style, these songs also represent each composer’s personality, background and life experience, which makes each song so unique and colorful. Pieces were also passed down through times from L.A. Taiko Ichiza’s predecessor, L.A. Matsuri Taiko and L.A. Taiko Okida Gumi days.

 

In the order the pieces were composed:

  • Hatsuyuki (Roy Okida, L.A. Taiko Okida Gumi)

  • Yamase (Brian Davis and Mike Jaffe, L.A. Matsuri Taiko)

  • Higuruma (Yuki Inoue, L.A. Matsuri Taiko)

  • Hiyaku (Chiaki Toda, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

  • Akari (Yuki Inoue, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

  • Dan (Yuki Inoue, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

  • Takumi (Yuki Inoue, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

  • Tomoe (Sarah Cortez, Sandy Gabucan and Sam Goff, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

  • Hakuryu (Evan Young, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

  • Nami no Ne (Yuki Inoue, L.A. Taiko Ichiza)

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Our Repertoire

We perform classic pieces from Japan, as well as our original pieces.

Classic Pieces from Japan

Oedo Sukeroku Taiko（大江戸助六太鼓）is a professional Japanese taiko group based in Tokyo, Japan. Grand Master Seido Kobayashi and his fellow taiko masters started the first taiko-only ensemble Sukeroku Taiko in 1967 in Tokyo, immediately winning nationwide fame. In 1982, Kobayashi founded Oedo Sukeroku Taiko to further pursue a perfect blend of stage entertainment and traditional taiko. 

 

The essence of Oedo Sukeroku Taiko style is the traditional Edo (Tokyo) residents' spirit and taste for being cool, that is explained by the Japanese words iki (粋) and inase (いなせ). Lifting and rhythmic patterns, a highly polished sound and dynamic movement of the drummers are only the beginning.

 

Their style is deeply influenced by Japanese traditional art, such as kata (型): a beauty of highly stylized physical forms, kakegoe (かけ声): shouts or calls, and ma (間): silent intervals between notes or movements that are significant in kabuki (歌舞伎) and noh（能）theater performances. The group has released many original songs, including the classic ensemble songs composed during Sukeroku Taiko days such as Yodan-uchi, Midare-uchi, Shunrai, Shiraume, and Matsuri.

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  • Yodan-uchi (Original Members of Sukeroku Taiko)

  • Nidan-uchi (Original Members of Sukeroku Taiko)

  • Oiuchi Daiko (Original Members of Sukeroku Taiko)

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"Hiryu Sandan Gaeshi" was composed by Grandmaster Daihachi Oguchi in March of 1972, who is the founder of Osuwa Daiko in Japan. We learned a version of this classic piece from Etsuo Hongo Sensei and have been performing for several decades. For more information about this piece, please visit https://www.hiryu-project.com/hiryu.html

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  • Hiryu Sandan Gaeshi (Osuwa Daiko)

Compositions by Sensei Estuo Hongo

Sensei Hongo has written and composed many original pieces we perform and some pieces are still being performed by other groups he taught. It is our honor to perform his songs with deep respect for his passion and his teachings for how these songs should be performed technically as well as spiritually.

 

During the 1970's, 80's and 90's, his unique and innovative style introduced moves that were performed by no other taiko drum groups. Flipping bachi, throwing bachi between performers, jumping over a taiko, spinning the whole arm(s), kicking a leg over a taiko, just to name a few - those movements were never seen with American taiko before Sensei Hongo.

 

What makes Sensei Hongo's technique even more special is that those movements never detract from the sound of his songs. If you listen to the sounds, the song sounds perfect by itself and you would never guess such dynamic movements are being performed during the song. One once said, "You could never expect what comes next!"

 

(*) All of Sensei Hongo's original songs are strictly owned by him and his family. The songs, both video and audio, partially or as a whole, can only be performed with his daughter Tomomi Hongo’s permission. The one exception is Hayashi (Kien Bayashi), which was announced to become a community song by Tomomi in 2019.

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Songs Composed by Sensei Etsuo Hongo:

  • 1970s: Hayashi (Kien Bayashi)

  • 1980s: Niwaka (with Yas Katsumoto), Uneri, Kaze No Hazumi, Hinode Taiko, Yon-Cho Ni-Kan

  • 1990s: Taiko Soran Bushi, Taiko L.A.(Rutsubo), Ran, Iroha, Morikami, Gaen, Mugen-Bayashi, Yuen, Senritsu-Yue, Hatsune, Hibana

  • 2000s: Sorin, Gaen II, Shokichi, Kaname, Junta

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