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Foreign students in Hokkaido drum up affinity with Japanese culture NHK

A: Hey there! Guess what I just read about?
B: What's up?

A: Some students from different countries got to experience traditional Japanese taiko drumming!
B: No way, that sounds amazing! Where was this?

A: It happened at a Japanese language school in Nakashibetsu town, Hokkaido. About 50 students took part!
B: Whoa, that's quite a lot! What did they do exactly?

A: Well, first a local taiko group performed an ocean-themed piece, inspired by Hokkaido's fishing culture. Then the students got to drum themselves!
B: That must have been exciting! Did they learn anything specific?

A: Yes, they learned the basic stance and a striking technique. The stance is standing with left leg diagonally forward and slightly bent knees. For striking, they lift the drumsticks straight up and hit the center of the drum.
B: That's interesting! How did they find it?

A: A male student from Nepal said it was tough but fun, while a female participant from Myanmar felt nervous at first but found it fascinating and wants to try again!
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Students from abroad experienced Japanese taiko drumming to deepen their understanding of the country's culture.



A Japanese-language school in Nakashibetsu town, located in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, hosted an event on Thursday as part of a cultural studies class.



About 50 students participated.



Members of a local taiko group kicked off the event by performing a powerful piece inspired by the ocean and the fishing practices of Hokkaido.



The students then had a chance to play the drums themselves.



They learned the basic stance -- placing their left leg diagonally forward with knees slightly bent.



They also learned a striking technique that involves lifting the drumsticks straight up and bringing them down to hit the center of the drum.



The participants followed the rhythm or played freely, enjoying the sounds of various sizes of drums and Japanese flutes.



A male student from Nepal said it was difficult but fun.



A female participant from Myanmar said she felt nervous but found it very interesting and would like to try playing again.
Summary
Students from various countries participated in a Japanese taiko drumming event at a language school in Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido. About 50 students learned the basic stance and striking technique. A local taiko group performed an ocean-themed piece, inspiring the students to try drumming themselves.
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ID: 4b39672c-6c4a-423e-96d3-e59678237e82

Category ID: nhk

URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250530_15/

Date: May 30, 2025

Created: 2025/06/01 07:09

Updated: 2025/12/08 03:52

Last Read: 2025/06/01 17:10