Members of San Jose Taiko perform in the annual Haru Matsuri festival at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center Sunday morning. The group performs intermittently through Aug. 5 around the South Bay.
The word taiko means ‘drum’ in Japanese. Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming, sometimes called ‘kumi-daiko.’
The Haru Matsuri festival, one of South County’s longest-running cultural events, raises awareness of Japanese culture and features the largest gathering of Taiko drum groups in Northern California. The event also honors local Japanese American World War II veterans with a photo exhibition. The festival began 47 years ago by local Japanese American community members. Haru Matsuri translates to ‘spring festival.’
