Kanagawa Prefectural Nature Conservation Center

雄勝町伊達の黒船太鼓保存会 - 図南の響 2018年4月15日 レンブラントホテル厚木

Japanese ethno performing art group in Ogatsu Ishinomaki “Date no Kurofune Daiko” performed at the Muay Thai match “DUEL.14” in Atsugi Kanagawa.

2018.04.15(sun) Atsugi Kanagawa Japan
DUEL.14



Wadaiko group:
OGATSU DATE NO KUROFUNEDAIKO





Date no Kurofune Daiko was established in May 1991 to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the town of Ogatsu
(later merged into Ishinomaki City in 2005) in Miyagi Prefecture.
The group's name, Date no Kurofune(Date's black vessel),
refers to the history of Ogatsu, where Load Masamune Date's mission galleon,
the San Juan Bautista, was built in 1613.
This is also the title of our main composition.

On March 11th, 2011, when the great east Japan earthquake hit,
the town of Ogatsu sustained catastrophic damage.
Not only did the group lose our taikos, costumes and
the community center where we practiced,
our entire hometown vanished in a matter of seconds.
The members were separated and momentarily lost hope,
but the support and encouragement from
an overwhelming number of people soon gave us the courage
and strength to recover from the devastation.
After reuniting and re-igniting our energy,
we decided to continue our mission of preserving this traditional performing art.

Thanks to the Japan Foundation, the group was able to replace
and repair taikos lost in the disaster.
Our new costumes were designed by Junko Koshino,
with financial support from the National Federation of
UNESCO Associations in Japan.
We also received support from countless others,
which had made it possible for us to continue the resonance of the taiko beat.

The group is determined to continue its mission to conserve and introduce this traditional performing art of Ogatsu, to educate the next generation and pass on our legacy, and to keep a bonfire lit for the people who had no choice but to leave Ogatsu.

We will continue beating with the spirit of Date in hope of uniting people through the town of Ogatsu, which Load Masamune Date secretly loved more than four hundred years ago.