This exceptional ensemble of taiko drummers has taken a traditional performing art and transformed it into a modern expression of strength, vitality, spirituality and endurance that leaves audiences mesmerised. O.TA.I.KO ZA MYOJIN comes from Ōta City in Fukui Prefecture, where the tradition of drumming (taiko) as a form of worship dates back to the start of the Edo Period (1600AD). Formed in 1989, this group has developed a more modern style of drumming made possible with strict, rigorous physical training and the teachings of Yoichi Watanabe, a renowned percussionist in Japan. The energy and excitement of their performances has made them popular with audiences all over Japan, who not only hear the sounds but also feel in their bodies the vibrations of the beats, as old and new-style drums combine in synchronicity.