October 1st  Day off

We saw a performance of the two clowns we met on the street and became friends with..

“Birthday”

It’s October the 1st today and it is Mr. Takaoki Masui’s birthday. He became 26 years old. We didn’t have a birthday cake or candles but we celebrated his birthday with lemonade and tacos.

  

October 2nd  Move to the next destination
Skyscrapers seen from out of the hotel

“To America”

We flew from Mexico to Huston in America. We start the America tour from Huston. We are rarely staying at one place to have concerts in America. We are moving from city to city, giving shows. Sometimes we have performances at school. Our schedule is very tight but we are all the more excited because we feel “This is the tour.”		  

October 3rd  No Concert
All of us shouted, “Ah----!”” at the last of the workshop.

“A Lot to Do”

It was a long day today. We appeared on a TV morning show in Huston. TV studios are usually not big enough for us to show our drumming performance. We tried to perform fully even in the rather small space and Mr. Gen Hidaka jumped so high that he hit the light with a drumstick. After that we performed at the office building for advertisement.
Some of the office workers seemed to enjoy our performance. We had a workshop at night. About 30 people including small kids and adults came and played the taiko (traditional Japanese drums) very hard. And another thing: today is Miss Maiko Toi’s birthday.

  

October 4th  First Show in Huston

We performed at a big supermarket in town in the morning. We were very happy, playing “Kizashi(an omen)” under the blue sky.

“Premiere in USA”

This was the first night in USA. We prepared for the performance and rushed to the opening. We had been preparing just before the curtain was raised. We started with high tension. All we could do was to play fully. The USA tour will last about two months and we will give 42 performances. Today one out of the 42 was finished.

  
October 5th  School Performance and A Nightly Performance

This is the trailer truck which carries our outfits during the US tour.

“School Performance”

Today we gave a performance at school.
We were thrilled with students’ obedient but explosive reaction. During the USA tour we will give 16 school performances. We’d like to give such interesting performances that more children will like the taiko (traditional Japanese drums) and Japan.

  

October 6th  Move & Preparation

I feel like walking among these people: a comment by Mr. Testuro Okubo.

“To Kerrville”

We saw a lot of runners passing by the hotel when we were having breakfast. There was a marathon race in Huston. I thought of shooting the wave of runners but while I was taking out a camera, runners got fewer. I thought I had lost a perfect moment for a good shot. Then I found a crowd of people in the distance, who, I figured out, were walkers.

  
October 7th  Performance in Kerrville
They intently look at the strange poster.

“Matinee in Kerrville”

The first show in Kerrville was a matinee. The concert began at 3:00 p.m. Most of the audience were aged people. It’s easy for us to perform here because the taiko or the drums sound effectively in this small theater. But it seemed that the sound was too loud for the audience. We found some of them covering their ears with their hands. Sorry to have frightened you with such loud sound.

  

October 8th　School Performance

The bandanna of Texas that we were given.

“The taiko and we are friends.”

Today is Physical Education Day (one of the national holidays) in Japan. Here in Kerville it is “Yamato”’s School Performance Day. We had kids from an orphanage as well as elementary school students with us and we beat the taiko together with them after the show. Among them there were a lot of four or five-year-old little kids, who beat the taiko hard. We were happy and felt refreshed to see them enjoy beating the taiko.

 

October 10th　Travel to The Next Venue

From in thr car.

“Sudden appearance of ……”

It happened when we were going back to the hotel after dinner. We found a familiar figure shone by the street light in the dark. It was our leader, Mr. Ogawa. “He cannot be here since he must be in Japan. Why is that????” We were so surprised that we could hardly speak. None of us knew that he would join us! What a pleasant surprise!

  
October 11th　Performance in Santa Fe
Buildings in the town look cute with all the angles round.

“2000m”

We are in Santa Fe. We feel the nice and clean air. We tried to start our usual morning running but we couldn’t. We felt our body very heavy and could not help panting. Why?
We remembered we were in Santa Fe, 2000m above sea level. It was impossible to jog and enjoy the nice air. All we could do was to drag our feet.

  

October 12th  Travel to the Next Venue
We took a big mouthful of corn.

“Chief”

We went shopping before leaving Santa Fe and found a lot of cute souvenirs in town. Among them Mr. Takahiro Mon was attracted by a Native American headband displayed on the wall. It was the most expensive article in the shop but each of us offered money and bought it. Takahiro looked like a chief with the headband on. “Chief” has become his nickname today.

  
October 13th  Performance in Denver
Miss Maiko Toi is trying to play the big shoulder drum.

“Reunion”

We had a concert in Denver, Colorado. When we were practicing the number, “Raion-Kumikyoku(Thunder Suite)”, Mr. Gen Hidaka found a man, who was an acquaintance of his father’s. He lives in Los Angeles and came over to Denver to see Gen. Gen was very surprised to see him for the first time in about 15 years. As for us, we didn’t play second string to Mr. Hidaka. Each of us is always trying to play the lead.

  

October 14th  Performance in Boulder
We were autographing the show bill after the concert. The design of the show bill varies from theater to theater.

“Sold Out!”

All the tickets of today’s concert were sold out! 2,000 people came to our concert. At the end of the encore the auditorium was lit up. How happy we were to see the whole auditorium!		  

October 15th  Day off
Mr. Takahiro Mon, alias “Chief” is touching drums at a musical instrument shop.

“Wearing new T-shirts for the U.S. tour”

New long-sleeved T-shirts for our U.S. tour began to be on sale yesterday. We were glad to have them in this season when we wanted long-sleeved shirts. We went shopping in the new T-shirts, feeling as if we were commandos in uniforms. We stood out at a big supermarket because we, six Asians were wearing the uniform T-shirts. If you want this T-shirt, please come over to the U.S and buy one.

 

October 16th  Travel to the Next Venue

The male members are practicing our number, “Garakuta” in a parking lot. It’s so nice practicing under the blue sky!

“Twelve Hours”

We cannot do the U.S. tour without this; a long-distance travel. Today’s traveling time is twelve hours! We’ve arrived at Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a long travel and we’ve had one-hour time difference.

  

October 17th  Performance in Tulsa
This is our schedule made by a staff member, JIM.

“A Storm Comes”

When we started sound check as usual, we heard a noise. “whiz…,whiz…,foo…,rumble, rumble…” I wondered where the noise was from. I listened to it carefully and found it to be the sound of a storm. Then after we finished preparation for the opening, it started hailing. Thank you for coming to our concert in this bad weather!		  

October 18th  Travel to the Next Venue.
Cooking a pumpkin.

“Cooking”

We are happy to have a kitchen in our room at the hotel. Our motto is to cook by ourselves. We love hamburgers but always miss Japanese food. 		 
October 19th  First Day in Overland Park
I feel I’m alive.

From a member of “Yamato”, Misato”

This is Miss Misato Sugiyama’s impression of her first U.S. tour.
“Travel and performance, travel and performance again! We are always traveling during the U.S. tour. It’s very impressive that we travel on a bus along a wide and long road. We see the vast sky and earth and between them, I feel, we are living. I think it’s like a miracle that we have moderate oxygen, temperature and love. I want to enjoy my life as much as possible. From Misato”

  

October 20th  Second Day in Overland Park
I won’t allow any mispainting!

“Hurray! It’s a Fine, Clear Day!”

We are at the same venue for two days and have no performance in the morning. Today will do for making properties. Costumes are one of the members, Ms. Akiko Ogawa’s own work and properties are the male members’ work. Especially the one designed by Mr. Kenmei Matsushita is a kind of works of art. During the tour we cannot help damage of the stage set. Repairing is also our work.

  

October 21s  Travel to the Next Venue

We are playing the chappa under the blue sky!

“Practice Wherever We Can”

We are practicing in the bus for the next school performance. Tap, tap, tap, tap….Bang, bang, bang, bang. We tap out rhythm here and there. At a roadside restaurant we practice the chappa (a cymbal-like small instrument). We can’t wait for the next performance!

  

October  22nd

After the performance we took a picture commemorating the 100 years’ anniversary of the theater!

“Anniversary!”

The theater we visited today is 100 years old this year!
In 1907, 100 years ago, in Japan Natsume Soseki, a famous writer got employed by the Asahi Newspaper Company, and in the U.S.A. the first taxi with a fare meter began to run. Anyway it’s very old!

  
October 23rd　Performance at School & Travel
The theater is filled with excitement of the young people.

“Concert at school”

Here in the US they have “Student Matinees”. This is a system that a theater offers students some performances, from which a school selects a performance to see. We are giving a concert at the Student Matinee. The students coming to our concert vary from elementary school students to college students. They are so excited even before the opening that they shout “Yeah!” just to see an emcee onstage and “Wah!” at our appearance onstage. Then they say “Shh!” to one another, once our play starts. The “Shh” sounds loud and that makes it sound cute all the more.

  
October 24th  Performance in Lincoln

One of the members, Tetsuro Okubo, who instructs them at the workshop.
“Workshop”

We always think “It’s more fun to beat the “taiko” than to listen to its sound!”
A workshop is a good opportunity to beat the taiko. The main theme of “Yamato”’s workshop is not to teach how to beat the taiko but to have you feel the taiko. First let’s just beat it with your all strength. Don’t you feel free from something, do you? Then you memorize some easy rhythms of taiko by singing. “Bang, bang, bang, Yokatta-na (Japanese words meaning it was good).” There is no wall of language when we beat the tiko. You sing out loud! That makes you feel refreshed, doesn’t it? Then you beat and beat the taiko again. “Bang, bang, bang, bang!” When finished, you must have blisters on your hands and be sweaty on the forehead. You are filled with energy you’ve got from the taiko. Nothing makes us happier than your smiles. The taiko has a great power! 		 

October 25th  Travel & Preparation

What’s wrong with you, Bus?

“An Accident Occurs!”

“We have a trouble!!”
“The tour bus won’t move!”
“Really? No kidding!”
We need to travel and travel and travel during our American tour. The tour bus is inevitable to cross the vast land. “How can such a trouble happen?” We have the same Chinese driver, John as last year and the bus is new. “What will become of our concert?”
We were supposed to go the theater on the tour bus and prepare for the show. We used hotel cars instead of the bus to the venue. After finishing the preparation we went back to the hotel. Judging from John’s anxious expression we knew that the bus had not been fixed yet. The day after tomorrow we have to travel 500km. Pleeeeease! We hope the bus will be repaired soon.

 

October 26th  School Concert & Concert
Wooow! We beat the taiko uniformly with all strength.

“One Month”

A whole month has passed since we began the tour in USA.　Our tour is still continuing. We are still in the first half of the tour and it’s not time yet for us to look back at the days that passed by.
We did our best at the concert today too and withdrew as soon as possible. It was John that came to pick us up. “John! It means that the bus has been repaired!” As soon as we got on the bus, we felt relieved and at the same time inspired to do the rest of the tour.
We still have one and a half months to go. We will go at full speed with no brake.

  

October 27th  “Travel”
She is examining wrinkles in the costume.

“A Fanatic Costume Staff”

As we show a powerful performance on a stage, not only the stage but also costumes are damaged. Today I’d like to introduce a great mender of costumes, Ms.Marika Nito. She is good at sewing as she graduated from a school of dress design. She is in charge of mending our costumes and covers for the taiko. She thinks of herself as rough and not thorough but actually she is clever with her fingers. Not only for costume but for laundry she strains and is particular about how to rinse and hang out the washing. She also checks how we dress ourselves		  
October 28th  Performance in Springfield
Beat, beat, beat!!!

“Three Minutes, One Minute”

What do you associate with these words; three minutes, one minute? Three minutes for boiling and one minute for eating. Nope! It’s not a cup ramen (hot noodle soup). If you know what it means, you would be a real “Yamato” fan. It is our super-hard training method coming down from our senior members. It’s a repetition of three-minute powerful beat of the taiko and one-minute break. If you are a drummer, you will know how hard it is to beat the drum with all your force for three minutes. This kind of basic practice is a shortcut to improvement. Practice and practice today too!

  

October 29th  School Performance & Travel
We sometimes need to do sewing! This is a handmade bag for the chappa (a small cymbal-like musical instrument)

“A Trainee”

We’d like to introduce one of the trainees, Mr. Daiki Mukai. He is the youngest in “Yamato”. He’s been a trainee of “Yamato” just for half a year but a drummer for 11 years. He was a member of the taiko(drum) club at high school and loves the taiko so much that he bought a taiko by himself. When he joined us, he was thin but now he’s developed his muscles. He seems to be gifted with a recovery faculty. No matter how he may feel down about the criticism from his senior members, he recovers from that soon.
Severe advice will make a trainee stronger. Hang in there!

  

October 30th  Performance in Henderson
Let’s enjoy KFC under the blue sky!”

“Kentucky in Kentucky”

We are now in Kentucky, which reminds us of fried chicken! Colonel Sanders, who is famous in Japan too, opened the first shop here in Kentucky in 1939. I hear that the shop had only 6 seats in a gas stand. We went directly to a KFC in Kentucky! It tasted great!

  

October 31th  School Performance & Travel & Preparation

There are pumpkins everywhere!

“High Spirit”

Today is Halloween Day but our schedule has nothing to do with the event. Check-out in the morning→School Performance→Packing→Loading→5-hour Travel→Check-in→Preparation. We made a round of two theaters today. How tight! After the travel we needed to unpack what we packed several hours ago and tighten the strings of the shime-taiko (string drums) which we loosened several hours ago. We are in high spirit when we have a tight schedule! We could manage everything speedily. We set up a new record for the fast preparation!