In this grand panoramic landscape, the sound of taiko drums echoes.

This is "DRUM TAO."

With dynamic performances using traditional Japanese instruments, they have created a new form of entertainment for the world stage.

In 2023, DRUM TAO celebrated its 30th anniversary with a captivating performance.

Sanga Moyu (2022).

November 2023.

The weather turned out great. There's no rain, and the wind isn't too strong.

Usually, it's very windy around here.

I think the music suits this panoramic backdrop very well.

The stage is like the frame of a painting.

This is the "Open-air Theater TAO-no-Oka."

About 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, Aso-Kuju National Park straddles Kumamoto and Oita prefectures.

The Aso Caldera is one of the world's largest, formed by volcanic activity.

This vast region is covered with grasslands.

Through grazing and controlled burning, this rich natural environment has been preserved for more than 1,000 years.

At 1,036 meters above sea level, "TAO-no-Oka" overlooks the mountains of Aso.

It is truly a stage in the sky.

DRUM TAO's music draws its power from the energy of this land.

DRUM TAO was formed in 1993.

Based in Oita Prefecture, their fan base grew steadily in Japan with each performance.

DRUM TAO's founder Fujitaka Ikuo believed in the potential of taiko from the beginning.

Taiko doesn't use words, so it's a universal language.

I wanted to create a form of entertainment that's uniquely Japanese, and to surprise people all over the world with it.

A major turning point came in 2004.

They performance played at the world's largest performance arts festival in Scotland, and received major acclaim.

They embarked on a world tour, staging even more elaborate productions.

To date, they have performed to more than 10 million people in 26 countries and regions, in 500 cities around the world.

The response was like nothing we had seen before.

I was like, "Wow..., this is fun! This feels amazing!"

I truly feel like being in DRUM TAO is what I was born to do.

In 2023, DRUM TAO celebrated its 30th anniversary.

I'm just completely captivated.

My feelings now have remained completely unchanged from 30 years ago.

Every day is fun and exciting.

My head is full of things I want to do.

And trying out these new things gives me such joy and exhilaration.

And these efforts have the power to makes other people happy, and in turn this creates more and more fans around the world.

I just feel so lucky to have found this line of work.

URESSHY (2023).

This is TAO-no-Sato.

All the DRUM TAO members live here.

Training begins early every morning, with one hour of non-stop drumming.

The powerful sound of TAO is the fruit of this rigorous training.

Relentless!

Members take turns serving meals, which they make themselves.

What are you making today?

So today, since everyone is here, it's sort of like a party.

So to celebrate, I'm cooking Spanish food today.

Since we all live here..., we have to work together to do all kinds of things.

We all cut the grass, cook meals, and do maintenance work, stuff like that.

We believe that all this work is ultimately reflected in our stage performance. So we never cut corners.

Which do you have more confidence in, taiko or cooking?

Cooking! Absolutely.

I'm not so bad at taiko, though.

In both cooking and drumming, they aim to achieve top-level skill, with painstaking attention to detail.

As they help each other and share the joys of living together, a spirit of teamwork is fostered.

RAIN2023 (2023).

M (2021).

For this commemorative performance, the members have all gathered together for the first time in a while.

Let's do it.

Let's give our best performance ever for the cameras.

First, they do a sound check, using their voices to simulate the sound of the taiko.

Let's go through it once.

This is followed by rehearsal with the taiko drums.

DRUM TAO, with a total of 35 members, is a diverse group of people of different ages and backgrounds.

The members, include a former hairdresser and a firefighter.

Each member has his or her own unique story, and everyone is captivated by the sound of the taiko.

Suito Yoshinori has been with the group since its formation.

In the beginning, it wasn't exactly like living hand-to-mouth, but we didn't always know if we'd be able to perform the next day.

People say it's amazing that I've been doing this for 30 years.

But for me, it's been a blink of an eye.

Looking back, though, a lot has happened.

There were tough times, times when I thought about quitting.

But it's also been full of drama, like a movie.

And it's a movie that's still going on now.

It's amazing to think that 30 years have passed.

Mugenkyo XI (2022).

With the lifting of COVID-related restrictions, DRUM TAO expanded its overseas tour schedule for 2024,

with shows in North America, and an Asian tour coming soon.

What's next in the ever-evolving story of DRUM TAO?

I started playing taiko simply because I love the instrument.

And that has not changed.

So I want to continue playing the taiko until I die, until my very last breath.

That's my dream.

I love making music.

So, it'd be great if people see a TAO performance with music I created,

and they say, "TAO's show was nice, but the music was really great!"

It would really make me happy if my music is heard by a lot of people around the world as the music of DRUM TAO.

My wish is for people to feel energized by TAO's shows, to be motivated to try harder in different aspects of their life.

I think that is the true power of entertainment.

I want to continue putting on performances that lift people up and give them energy.

People have dreams, and they work so hard, chasing these dreams.

I think DRUM TAO is a group that creates dreams.

In a nutshell, we are makers of dreams.

THUNDER (2023).

Wagakki Band2 (2022).