Taiko students follow Chizico Endo’s instructions for each movement during the class. (Photo by Shane Kaneshiro)

By Shane Kaneshiro | Staff Writer

On Sept. 8, the world-renowned taiko group, Taiko Center of the Pacific, which has been gone from Kapi‘olani Community College for about 10 years, returned to offer classes to students and community members.

“We are very happy to be back,” said Chizico Endo, who is one of the instructors of the taiko class.

Taiko Center of the Pacific started in 1994 by Kenny and Chizico Endo to teach taiko or traditional and contemporary Japanese drumming. Chizico Endo said the taiko class is a whole body and personal art form that involves the body, mind, and spirit.

“It’s great for staying in good physical condition,” Endo said. “Not only physically but also in the mind.”

Around the mid ʻ90s, the Endos began speaking to the KCC Office of Continued Education and Training about the possibility of offering classes. From there, the group has been teaching taiko at the KCC chapel, located near the cactus garden, for about 20 years.

“It’s the very first place we ever presented a concert in Hawaiʻi, in the chapel,” Chizico Endo said. “The chapel is the best practice space that we had in Hawai‘i or in Honolulu.”

They have taught people from Europe, Japan, all across the United States, Canada, and Argentina to study specifically to study with the group.

Taiko students are practicing rhythm, striking the drum lightly. (Photo by Shane Kaneshiro)

“Over the years, people who have taken taiko classes and they move on to the next level together, and they have developed life long friends,” Endo said. “For people that have left Hawai’i and they go to other places, there is a whole network of people around the world that play taiko drums.”

Carolyn Adler who has been with the Taiko group for over 30 years said the taiko drums is captivating and makes you want to try taiko.

“It just becomes a part of your life almost because its a routine I got into,” Adler said. “My children took taiko and my grandchildren are taking taiko. Its a family kind of thing that we like to do.”

However, when the Chapel had to be entirely renovated due to wood rot and termite damage in 2010,  the group had to leave. After the renovations were completed in 2013, they came back for six months before moving to different places such as Washington and Niu Valley middle school for about 10 years.

Recently, the group has been working with the Office of Continued Education and Training again to teach taiko classes to KCC again. Adler said when they were moving around, it didn’t feel like the right place. When the group came back to KCC, she said coming back to KCC is like coming home.

There are 22 classes, ranging from skill level and age groups. For the younger students, the classes also teach them social environment, musicality, how to work with others, and how to count. The taiko class also accepts people who have physical challenges and they try to accommodate them.

“We have right now [a student] who has a permanent leg brace,” Endo said. “We try our best to accommodate them. We also have a class for the deaf and hard of hearing.”

Taiko students are practicing stances before striking the drum. (Photo by Shane Kaneshiro)

The classes seasons are held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday with an average of 15 to 20 students per class. Each class has many age groups, which range from the youngest being two years old to the oldest being in their 80s.

“We actually have a student who was only 1 [year old],” Endo said. “This was about the start of the spring of this year, which was very early … and she is doing a great job.”

However, registering for the classes has problems such as the class is not very publicized, and the registration period is only open for a few days. Endo said KCC opens the registration for four days before closing the registration 48 hours before the first class.

“We hope in the future that they will have a longer time to register for classes,” Endo said. “We have people who want to take classes that are not offered right now, and we don’t have enough time slots.”

Even with these challenges, Endo encourages students of KCC to join. Right now, classes for the next season, which starts on Sunday, Oct. 27, are currently open. To join, class registration is online. Endo said the next season has an end-of-the-year gathering where all the classes perform for each other.

“I really encourage KCC students to take part because we have a discounted rate made for the KCC students,” Endo said. “So this is a great opportunity to have it in Hawai’i. It’s also a great opportunity because it’s right on the campus. We hope you join us.”