Narita Taiko Matsuri 2025

william_kent

Well-known member
I had the pleasure of attending the Narita Taiko festival this year

I'll post photos and videos of the standout performances when I get around to it

I only took photos but I'm searching for videos

but bear in mind nothing can replace the sensation of drums live in the moment, all artefacts are a mere simulacrum and do no justice to the experience of air vibrating against your body

this was the opening ceremony, a prayer for peace, 36 drumming groups, assembled in front of Naritasan Shinshōji temple,

I'm on the right of the screen by the orange bollards but I can't spot me so that's all good

this was my perspective:

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it's a video so it doesn't do justice to the sheer volume and vibration of 300 + drummers in unison

I'm almost crying with joy at the memory of this moment, it was so powerful



成田太鼓祭 千願華太鼓 全36チーム紹介​


( Narita Taiko Festival 2025 )

Prayer for Peace
and
Introduction of all 36 teams

it was so touching seeing all the teams appreciating each other's abilities, clapping along when the rhythm hit

you know it's good when an old granny turns and smiles at you and starts chundering away saying "sugoi" and the like

the first team introduced after the mass prayer were one of the highlights of the festival, "Ikkyokan Samurai", we made a point of seeing them every time they played - they were fierce

I'll write more when I'm sober or whatever
 

william_kent

Well-known member
I've been trying to put this in order, but I was overwhelmed by the cosmic wave that crashed over me last weekend and all sense of chronology has gone out the window

one of the highlights for me was the boy band taiko outfit outside the JR train station on Sunday

I took some pics

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but someone took a video

which might give you an idea of the sheer cosmic tsunami that hit Narita last weekend



Taiko SAI-WINGS - Narita Matsuri 19/04/2025

this was the second time I saw them, I only caught the end of their set midday on Saturday but I made a point of catching their full set later on Saturday afternoon

edit: about 14:36 minutes in and when the two dyed hair dudes get sweaty was a highlight, beats upon beats

it was really fucking hot, I got so sunburnt, my forehead is still falling apart, like a snowstorm of white flakes
 

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william_kent

Well-known member
it fucking rocked, I turned to some toothless old Japanese guy and tried out my porno learnt lingo: "sugoi" and he started chundering on until my travel companion intervened with "HIS NIHONGO SHIT" but he still persisted and told us about the "special performance' that we already knew about
 

william_kent

Well-known member
in defiance of the fatwa


after paying our respects to ACALA, aka Fudō Myōō, the WRATHFUL Buddha we headed up the historical shopping street and I heard some drums and remarked to my travel companion 'that sounds raucous' and I was amazed that the punk rock Taiko was performed by a kawaii IDOL group

it was hard to take photographs because of the crush of dirty old middle aged men ( myself included, lol? )

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Tokyo Otome Taiko - Narita Matsuri 19/04/2025
 

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william_kent

Well-known member
this crew were so fucking heavy




I can't find the clip from Sunday afternoon where it went full on call and repsonse between performers and audience but this clip from Saturday may give a flavour of the intensity

my travel companion made a comment along the lines that everyone on stage may have been related which may account for the perfect ryhthm
 

william_kent

Well-known member
this was the Saturday performance of "Ikkyokan Samurai" that convinced us of "girl power"



Ikkyokan Samurai - 19/04/2025 Narita Taiko Matsuri

these ladies were STERN - when the sound man fucked up with the microphone I felt a slight twinge of envy, lol
 
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