Gojinjo Taiko is a wild, powerful performance by masked drummers. It originated 400 years ago in the small coastal community of Nafune-machi in Ishikawa Prefecture. The story goes that, faced with an imminent attack by a powerful warlord, villagers used improvised masks to disguise themselves as oni (demons), and scared away the approaching forces. Gojinjo Taiko is performed not only at the summer matsuri (festival) but at local hotels in everyday life, as a form of community revitalization.
The performers of Gojinjo Taiko hit the drums so hard, you think they might break.
The raw power makes an unforgettable impact.
Nafune-machi is a fishing community in Ishikawa Prefecture.
Only 200 or so people live here but they have their own matsuri tradition.
The roots of Gojinjo Taiko
date back to the late 16th century.
The warlord Uesugi Kenshin
was preparing to attack.
The villagers came up with a plan.
They brought out drums from shrines
and temples, and lit a bonfire.
They put together some masks and
decorated them with strips of seaweed.
They made such a terrifying sight
that the warriors turned and fled.
That's the story behind the festival.
The masks are a distinctive feature.
The wearer brings the mask to life.
They all strike different poses.
And that makes it really special.
The "Yasha" mask conveys divine anger.
The "Dharma" mask represents a monk.
Male and female ghost masks
represent the souls of the villagers.
Put one on, and you're no longer
yourself. You become the mask.
That's what's great about it.
The wildness is what
makes it so appealing.
It's not pretty!
It's very earthy.
Rugged and wild.
That's why people like it.
Wajima Kiriko Art Museum.
The performance starts slowly.
Gradually, the drumming gets faster, and builds to a crescendo.
The drummers strike poses that breathe life into their masks.
The atmosphere is unsettling, and makes a lasting impact on the audience.
Drummers perform in their spare time.
They finish their day jobs, then go to hotels and other tourist facilities.
This way of life became established about 50 years ago.
A preservation society was set up
to keep the tradition going.
Performers would go
to hotels and so on.
The key thing was to earn money
and restore some local vitality.
That's how it started.
The aim was to encourage young people
to stay and work in this community.
At night, they could earn
extra money drumming.
That's what got it going.
During the day, I'm a car mechanic.
At night, I drum.
I've done it since I was a boy.
For me, it's a part of daily life.
Growing up, my grandfather and father
were out doing this every evening.
That's just how it was.
And now, that's how it is for me.
Work is work.
Drumming is drumming.
When I pick up the drumsticks,
I just give it 100 percent.
For 400 years, Gojinjo Taiko has been performed at the community's summer festival.
The drummers are all local men.
You must be born and raised in
Nafune-machi. That's the rule!
At one time, only first-born sons
were allowed to do it.
My younger brother was
really disappointed.
But that rule was dropped.
Now any boy in Nafune can learn.
The birth rate is declining.
We must think carefully about what
we can do to keep the tradition going.
Gojinjo Taiko needs to capture
children's imagination.
Our job is to make sure that happens.
I started in my second year
of elementary school.
My teacher suggested it.
He was a drummer himself.
I thought it was awesome.
Really cool.
At first it was just fun.
But now I watch the older drummers.
I'm always working hard
to be as good as them.
A votive performance of Gojinjo Taiko is the highlight of the big summer event, the Nafune Grand Festival.
I've drummed a lot, but I'm always
nervous before a hometown performance.
From parent to child, to grandchild — Gojinjo Taiko reverberates through the generations.