Oedo Sukeroku Taiko

The name of the group comes from the former name for Tokyo, Edo, and a main character named Sukeroku Hanakawado in a kabuki play called Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura.[1] Sukeroku is a hero in the play, and is thought to represent the traditional spirit of Edo.[2][3]

In 1959, Oedo Sukeroku Taiko formed in the Bunkyo ward in Tokyo under Seidō Kobayashi and three other men,[4] using the Yushima Tenjin Shrine as a practice space.[5] The initial group included three others including Kobayashi: Onozato Motoe, Ishizuka Yutaka, and Ishikura Yoshihisa.[6] One account of why Oedo Sukeroku Taiko started was that it emerged from a competitive atmosphere among young, male drum performers to stand out and impress young women at Bon festivals in the summertime,[7] and in fact, Kobayashi and the other performers had previously been in a Bon performance group called Oedo Sukeroku Kai.[8]

Some initial members of Oedo Sukeroku Taiko left to start independent groups; one of them was a similarly named group simply called Sukeroku Taiko founded by former player Imaizumi Yūtaka[9] after a dispute with Kobayashi over money and the band's direction split them apart.[10] However, Oedo Sukeroku Taiko continues to perform in national exhibitions in Japan[11][12] as well as internationally in countries such as Belgium,[13] Indonesia,[14][15] and India.[16] In the 1969, a student of the group, Seiichi Tanaka, founded a group in San Francisco called the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, and also teaches Sukeroku-style performance.[17]

In 1999, Kobayashi accused taiko groups in North America of performing pieces owned by Oedo Sukeroku Taiko, using their style and equipment, without permission, acknowledgment, or compensation for their intellectual property.[18] In two letters, Kobayashi demanded that groups or individuals either study under their group in Japan or with the San Francisco Taiko Dojo to obtain permission.[19] These demands were, however, largely ignored by the North American community, no compensation was given, and the group abandoned their requests.[20]

Oedo Sukeroku Taiko is thought to have had the greatest influence in the development and styles of North American taiko groups.[21] One commentator noted, "It would not be a far reach to say that most groups in North America owe a stylistic debt to Oedo Sukeroku."[22] Their style of playing and repertoire are considered a standard in the Americas, and perhaps because of its prevalence, the group is not often credited for developing this style.[23]

The performance style specific to Oedo Sukeroku Taiko, sometimes called Sukeroku style, is characterized by a number of factors. First, chū-daiko drums are positioned on a diagonal stand in a slanted fashion.[21][24] Second, players take on a specific position with their left leg bent, and their right leg fully extended, and the drum is approximately at the performer's waist level.[25] Their style also blends certain kata from traditions such as budō and classical music elements from a tradition called hogaku.[17]