Taiko: What is it? Come find out at our free lecture and participatory demonstration on Friday, July 25 at 7:00 pm. Please RSVP by calling 510-654-6415. If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like to play the big drums, this is your chance!

Classes for beginners are held every Thursday from 7 to 9 pm and Saturday from 2 to 4 pm. We accept new students on the first Thursday and Saturday of each month. New students are required to attend an orientation a half an hour before the first class. The class is $15 plus a one-time $5 registration fee (includes Member Handbook). Please let us know you're coming before attending your first class.

Solano Stroll, Solano Avenue, Albany/Berkeley - September 14, 2008
Emeryville Taiko will give several performances at the annual Solano Stroll , which organizers call "the Bay Area's biggest block party."

On June 26, Grand Master Daihachi Oguchi passed away at the age of 86 after being hit by a car. His influence reached taiko groups around the world. Grand Master Oguchi was one of the visionaries responsible for the global spread of taiko as a popular art form. He was, in a sense, the great grandfather of Emeryville Taiko: he was the teacher of Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, who in turn taught Susan Horn, the Director of Emeryville Taiko. Grand Master Oguchi's contribution to the art of taiko was profound, and his death is a great loss to us all.

Read more: New York Times article

Dorian, Brad and Director Susan Horn with Grand Master Oguchi, 3/24/2005

San Francisco Taiko Dojo, led by Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. We at Emeryville Taiko would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Grand Master Tanaka for his monumental contributions to taiko. Grand Master Tanaka is one of the leaders responsible for bringing the art of taiko to the United States, and his skill, teachings, and wisdom are part of the foundation upon which Emeryville Taiko is built.

In 1967, Seiichi Tanaka came to the United States and attended San Francisco's first Cherry Blossom festival. He was struck by the absence of taiko at the festival, a central part of any celebration in Japan. The following year, after studying taiko in Japan with Grand Master Daihachi Oguchi, Tanaka returned to San Francisco and performed alone in the festival, and soon after founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo.

Twenty-nine years later, Emeryville Taiko Director Susan Horn and Yuri Morita, then members of San Francisco Taiko Dojo, started an Oakland taiko class for children under the guidance of Grand Master Tanaka. Horn says, "I studied with Grand Master Tanaka for years and am grateful for the spirit, creativity, stamina and discipline he encouraged in me. I am proud to pass on what I learned to dozens of new students each year."

San Francisco Taiko Dojo is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a concert at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley on November 22nd and 23rd. Read the concert announcement.

DVDs of our 10th anniversary concert, performed on November 4, 2007 at the Julia Morgan Theater, are now available for purchase. Please contact us for more information.

Emeryville Taiko is a non-profit San Francisco Bay Area taiko group providing traditional Japanese drumming classes and performances. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible and your financial support is appreciated. You can donate online at our website.