Our group inside the bullet train

Someone caught a nice photo of Mt. Fuji out the window

Noriko's colleagues were friendly and curious about our experiences in Tokyo. However, they could also tell that we were hungry from our morning trip. They took us to a local sushi restaurant and made a nice gesture by paying for all our meals. It was a filling lunch, as each of us were presented with our own plate of assorted pieces of fish and california rolls. We also got a small bowl of soup on the side. My favorite pieces had to be the salmon and the egg. The salmon didn't have a strong fishy taste as some of the others and the egg seemed to have a sweet flavor.

Beautifully presented plate of sushi

Now that our stomachs were full it was time for the much anticipated event of the day: a Taiko drum lesson. Noriko and her friends led us to our destination. It was close enough for us to walk and I caught some pictures of houses in the neighborhood along the way. The layout of the buildings reminded me of Germany. The housing was tightly packed together with lots of hidden gateways and gardens, and of course the architecture was lovely. I can't get enough of the eave-lined rooftops.

Left to Right: Front of a neighborhood house, Side gateway

We ended up at a school courtyard where we were greeted by students in a high window waving down at us. We took our shoes off inside and went up a few floors to the room where the students and teachers were waiting for us. We had no idea we'd be visiting a school to get a lesson, but I think it was the best place for us to experience it.

Some introductions were made by the teachers and they seemed very excited that we had come to see them. They explained that a few different groups of students had come to show us some of the traditional instruments of Japan. The first group of students, along with their teacher, played us some songs on a stringed instrument called a Koto. Their last song was Jingle bells, to get us into the Christmas spirit!

The last group to present was an advanced trio of girls which had been playing for 10 years. The girls played songs in different positions and you could tell by their technique that not only were they more experienced but they were having a lot of fun. In one of their songs one of the girls had a Taiko drum strapped around her shoulders and was playing on the front and back of it. It was amazing to see these traditional instruments played and performed by such enthusiastic students. We were also surprised to learn that the girls usually played with bigger groups of 3 guys and 3 girls. The beating of the drums was already so loud and impressive we couldn't imagine what a bigger group would sound like.

Left to Right: Advanced student playing Taiko, Trio playing in rhythm

Left to Right: Girl with strapped Taiko, Playing Taiko sideways

Now that we had seen all the students perform it was time for us to get a lesson on the Taiko drums. The teacher stood up and demonstrated how to hold the sticks (gently but firmly and loosen your wrists). Noriko translated for us as the teacher went on to teach us some basic rhythms. We alternated groups so everyone could try and then the teacher gave us a challenge. She wanted us to break into groups and make our own rhythm.

After we had some time to practice our beats each team got up and performed in front of everyone. Although somewhat nerve-racking, everybody got through it and I think we all had fun in the process. Besides, how many people can say they've played the Taiko and created their own rhythm with it?

My group practicing

Next the teacher and my roommate Lindsay performed a song on the Koto. Lindsay had decided to learn the Koto while we were practicing the drums. She did a duet of Jingle Bells with the teacher and played it really well. We had some time left and the teacher went around to practice with anyone that wanted to try out the Koto.

When it was time to go we were sad to leave but also felt so welcomed and honored that the students and teachers had come in on a Sunday when they normally wouldn't. The teacher thanked us for visiting and also left us with a beautiful story about a local river. She said the river got its name from the Milky Way that shone above it and that many people had been inspired by it, creating rhythms to convey the life emanating around it (ie children playing along its shore).

We walked back through the neighborhood and took a train to our hotel called Rhiga Royal. Our rooms were slightly smaller but the lobby and restaurants seemed just as fancy as the first. I also really liked that the rooms had screens covering the windows, which was something traditional we didn't see in Tokyo.

Rhiga Royal hotel room with Shoji screens

Lastly we got a quick bite to eat at a tempure restaurant inside the train station. We needed our energy and rest for the next day, when we'd be seeing some local temples.