November 1 (Sunday) Erie, PA – 2 Concerts
Yamato Billboard
We are on the bus on the way to the theater and, “Wow!!” We found a humongous sign in the middle of town. This is our fifth time in Erie since we started touring the US. I think this huge sign helped us to get a full house!! It inspired us to really give our all on stage!  
November 2 (Monday) Erie, PA – Workshop, Moving, unloading
Thank you!

We gave a workshop at Erie High School today.

Usually workshops occur while we are setting up the stage so they are run by only 3 members, but today there was no performance so we all went. First we played “Hyuuga”. During the workshop, Takeru sensei made a lot of jokes and really seemed to connect with the students. At the end we played “Rakuda”! When we finished everybody stood up and gave us a standing ovation! In America, even high school students have high energy.		  
November 3 (Tuesday) Kutztown, PA – Workshop and Concert
Not too safe.

Oh,No!! Look at these stairs!!

During our American tours, we travel large distances from West to East. We play at big theaters and small theaters. We stay at expensive hotels and old hotels … all different kinds. The staircase at today’s hotel is falling apart! There is another staircase across the way, but we all have really heavy bags to carry. I hope it will hold us… Our bags may be heavy, but our bodies are light, so it worked out okay…		  
Nov.4 (Wed) Shippensburg, PA – Moving, Workshop, Concert
We get nervous when the camera is on us

We had a promo session today. It was different than usual because the cameras were very close. For the first song, “Ucho-ten”, the camera was right next to us from the beginning to the end. It’s like they are making a Yamato TV program or something?

It kind of made us nervous.		  
November 5 (Thursday) Princeton, NJ - Moving
Is it cute?
We only traveled 285 km today. That’s an easy trip for us! After eating lunch, we went to the shopping mall. We bought winter gear: scarves and blankets. Now we will be warm and cozy on the bus!!  
November 6 (Friday) Princeton, NJ – Concert and Moving
Posters for Kodo

Today’s theater was filled with a lot of autographed pictures of famous people. And… Wow!! We found a poster of Kodo!! Cool!! It looked really good!! We had to travel to our next destination directly after the concert, so we hurried to pack and clean up the stage, and the dressing rooms. We were rushing to get on the bus when the lady from the theater stopped us and said, “Please let me say thank you.” We said that we should be thanking her, but she told us how she was impressed how thoroughly we had cleaned the stage and back stage.

Our motto is: Leave it nicer than you found it. Still, we are happy to hear her thanks.		  
Nov 7 (Sat) Bloomsburg, PA – Workshop, Concert, Moving

 

Today`s theater seemed to be oriented towards musicals and concerts. They had a very large sewing and costume room. We searched for our dressing rooms, but every door we opened was a practice room with a piano.

On a side note, the students in our workshops today were all percussion majors, so they learned very quickly. 		 
November 8 (Sunday) Ithaca, NY - Concert
This is a “Genie”.
This is a concert hall. There were only three bars available for the lighting and they could not even be lowered! We had to take each light up using a “genie”. We were still able to finish setting up on time. The nice thing about concert halls, though, is the acoustics. We were overcome by the great sound of this concert hall. The performance was a great success. If we confront our difficulties, they can even become energy.  
November 9 (Monday) Portland, ME – Moving, unloading
Portland lobsters are the best in the world!
After two continuous days of traveling and concerts without any breaks, we finally have a day with just traveling and unloading, no concert. We are traveling 710 km from New York to Maine, which will take 7 1/2 hours by bus. Time to sleep! Now is our chance to catch up on all the sleep we’ve been missing these past few days. Waiting for us when we arrived were four Yamato members who just arrived from Japan. Also, Mr. Koji Seo and his adorable daughter, Raika-chan. We asked Mr. Seo to take some pictures during our American tour. Raika chan is so cute, it just makes us so happy.  
November 10 (Tuesday) Portland, ME – School Show, Concert
Our whole spirit is in the music even when we rehearse.

Today`s performance was good! It is usually good….But today was even better than usual! The leader Ogawa-san is here! Our rehearsal today was more than just a practice, our whole souls were really one with the music.  The spirit of Japan… of Yamato! Some of our staff even came running to see what was going on. Our feelings of fatigue and lack of intensity were changed in a moment. We could concentrate on creating a unified sound and performing. It is not so easy to play well at every concert, every time.

Remembering the feeling of today’s rehearsal is only half the battle. We must continue to strive to do our best every day!		  
November 11 (Wednesday) Easton, PA – Moving
It’s dangerous!
We are traveling 635 km today! Time to go to sleep!! Mr. Luft woke us up by announcing lunch in Japanese “Gohan desu!” We expected that we would have the usual McDonald’s. Then we saw a Japanese restaurant outside the bus!! Sushi for lunch perhaps? When we got inside, it turned out to be a Japanese steak house.

Mr.Ogawa said… “We can’t come all the way into this Japanese restaurant and not have Japanese food.” So we all ended up having lunch there. This style of restaurant is actually from Kobe, but I’m not sure whether we can call this Japanese food. Most of cooks, who twirl around forks and knives, are Chinese. It is quite a fancy way of cooking. Anyway, we became very full, and now it’s time to go back to sleep.		  
November 12 (Thu) Easton, PA – WS, Concert, Moving
Unloading

Today is a full schedule. We have to set up, hold a workshop, perform and then move again. We arrived at the theater at 8 o`clock in the morning. The stage is pretty cramped. When the light bars are lowered, there is no room to move the drums or cases around. We had to pay attention to one another in the small space while we built the set.

Tonight’s audience need not know about our struggles getting set up. We will just concentrate on putting together another “festival” on the stage for their enjoyment.		  
November 13 (Friday) Washington DC - Concert
Thank You Chris

Goodbye Easton, see you next time! We left Easton right after cleaning up the stage last night and traveled south for 320 km to Washington DC. Wow! It is where the White House is!! It must be a big city?!! We are quite excited.

An old friend also came to see us. He came to Yamato’s Taiko class while he was in Japan as an English teacher. His name is “Chris”. It was a long, long time ago…about 10 years. He always introduced himself on the phone like this: “this one is Chris!” He is a good, old friend. He comes and visits us every time we are here.		  
‚PNovember 14 (Saturday) – Moving

 
We are traveling 410 km from Washington to New York. Our destination is Manhattan. It’s just like being in a Hollywood movie… and we went to the Empire State Building!
We should have had a beautiful view of the New York streets from the observation deck, but we couldn’t see a thing. All we could see were white clouds. There was nothing to even focus on.
It was a strange experience for being in such a big city. Oh well, we’ll work hard again tomorrow.		  
November 15 (Sunday) Broolville, NY – packing, Concert
The camera man is named Mr. Seo
Today was the last concert for Mr. Seo, our cameraman, before he returns to Japan. He took pictures starting with the sound check and during our dress rehearsal.
Let`s make sure we bring up the intensity and play as if it’s a real performance. We look very nervous… at least the sound doesn`t come through in the photos. What? This camera records video too?		  
November 16 (Monday) Moving
Again, there’s a camera today.
Today is a traveling day again. We’ve had a lot of traveling days recently… 710km!! It’ll take 8 hours!!

No time for sightseeing.
We pass straight through Manhattan and head south!		  
November 17 (Tuesday) Lexinton, VA – Packing, Concert
Lunch Break
The shime daiko had a good sound today. We tighten up our shime daiko before every concert, and loosen them again when it is done. There are some people who will stop and check the tuning as they tighten up the heads, but Yamato is different.
We just tighten them up as tight as we can get them. Our poor shime daiko. I don’t know if we were in a good mood today, or if we had a special connection with the concert hall, but the sound resonated especially well. It sounded even better than usual. 		 
November 18, (Wednesday) Moving
Chigire Mochi
Traveling again!! This time from Virginia to West Virginia, 410 km.
We saw a Burger King on the way, but we decided to have Japanese snacks for lunch.		  
November 19 (Thursday) Parkersburg, WV - Concert
This is the theater.
What a surprise?! We were told that we will perform at a sports arena. But we were also told there are only three rods for hanging lights? From past experience, when we have played at sports arenas, there are maybe 2000, 3000 or even 4000 people in attendance!!
So many people!!!

But when we arrived, we saw that today’s sports arena was only a small gymnasium, with a capacity of 400 people. Of course, it was sold out. It’s fitting, actually.
Wadaiko is a sport after all. We’ll play with our fullest energy!!		  
November 20 (Friday) Moving by Plane
Thank you, John.
Moving yet again, but this time by plane! We said good bye to the bus at the airport and thanked our bus driver John!! One last picture all together, “say cheese”.  
November 21 (Saturday) Clearwater, FL - Packing
Airing out the taiko cases
We are in Florida, and it is hot! Why is it so hot? Humidity? Yes, it’s more than just hot, it’s hot and humid. We start sweating even sitting still. Oh no! Humidity is bad for the taiko skins! At least we can air out the taiko cases. It is such a sunny day. Wait who spread them out in the shade?  
November 22 (Sunday) Clearwater, FL - Concert
We finished setting up yesterday! Today we have a matinee performance at 2 o`clock. Our lighting person, Midori is making one last check. Midori’s assistant snapped a picture of his mentor from the “Front of House”.  
November 23 (Monday) Moving
We only had to travel 205km today. We arrived in only 3 hours. What shall we do with the extra time? We walked around the hotel and found toilet seats on the tennis courts. Why…?  
November 24 (Tuesday) Day Off

The day we’ve been waiting for is finally here!! Our 2009 USA Tour Day Off. Around our hotel is … nothing. So what did we decide to do? Practice. We rented a meeting room, sat around a large table and pounded on the table as if it were our drums. “This high quality table sure makes a nice sound, doesn’t it.” Says Tetsuro Okubo.

We are particular about sound.		  
November 25 (Wednesday) Gainesville, FL - Concert
Thanksgiving Day. Have you heard of it? It’s tomorrow. Today is the day before. Why is it that people all over the world really like festivals? The title of Yamato’s show this year is “festival!” Please come to the theater to celebrate the festival with us! In preparation, we eat large rice balls. We are thankful for good food.  
November 26 (Thursday) Moving by flight
Yamato’s 2009 USA tour came to an end yesterday. Today we are flying to the next country on our tour. After one domestic and one international flight, we arrived in Canada! It is a four-hour flight from sunny Florida to snowy Canada. We will try to provide warm and exciting performances for this cold, cold country.  
November 27 (Friday) Moving by Train
Yesterday we arrived in Montreal by plane. Today, we traveled three hours by train to Kingston. Sometimes we travel by tour bus, sometimes by airplane, or rent-a-cars or trains. We’ve had many different experiences in many different countries. Touring can be really wonderful.  
November 28 (Saturday) Kingston, ON - Concert

 
Today is the first day of Yamato’s Canadian tour 2009!! There are 750 seats in today’s venue. It is a fair size theater, but the stage is rather small. The entrance is small and there are not enough lighting batons. We tried to make adjustments where we could. But when we face difficulties, it just makes us want to try harder!! Midori, who is in charge of lighting, is making some last minute changes in his lighting plan.  
November 29 (Sunday) Moving by Train
We are traveling by train again. Today we`ll go to Toronto. It is the largest city in Canada. Large skyscrapers rise above us on every side. They inspire us to play with a big sound.  
November 30 (Monday) Day Off

Ohhhhh! All of a sudden we have a day off! We’ve only had one performance… We feel a little guilty.

We went to China town looking for sesame seed dumplings. Chinatown here is really large. We walked for quite a while in cold weather, but finally we found them!! They are big, crunchy and delicious. Sorry that we are writing about food once again.