Our Town Inagi 2019: Hanami Yoshiki

A Bridge for International Exchange Through Taiko

Hanami, a taiko drummer residing in Nagamine, participated in the "Hanami Event" held at So Park in France from April 19 to 23, 2019, and interacted with the French taiko group "Tsunagari Taiko." Upon hearing that the French taiko group had established the first Awa Odori troupe in Europe, Hanami brought an Awa heitaiko from Japan to cooperate with the event and headed to France.
Due to repeated demonstrations in France and the impact of the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, there were various concerns such as changes to the event venue and last-minute homestays with French drum officials. However, on the day of the event, a large number of spectators gathered from overseas, and it was very lively. Hanami-san improvised performances of the national anthems of Japan and France with a flute and drums, and in the end, he shared that it became an unforgettable experience as he danced the Awa Odori together with the audience.

Hana-mi first encountered the taiko drum at the age of 17 while training as a monk at Kencho-ji Temple in Kamakura. Amidst the rigorous training and studies, she learned that the drum is a "necessary tool for conveying the heart." Since then, she has visited disaster-stricken areas such as the Miyakejima volcanic eruption, the Niigata Chuetsu earthquake, the Noto Peninsula earthquake, the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the Kumamoto earthquake, engaging in volunteer activities using the taiko drum.
Hanami's future goal is to create an environment that facilitates international exchange more smoothly. She said, "I want to work hard with the goal of doing what can be done because it is Inagi City, and what can be done because we are Inagi citizens."
For Hanami, the taiko is like a mischievous and demanding child, but it is a passionate instrument that conveys feelings to people. Hanami's challenge to deepen international exchange through the taiko continues.