SoraNews24 —Japan News—

The stunning sound and visuals in this new clip are designed to transport viewers to a Japanese festival as part of a new website for foreign tourists.

Japan
(ANA • awesome • cool • culture • drumming • drums • festivals • Japanese festivals • Kodo • Matsuri • music • performance • sound • stage • taiko • tradition • wow)

Pro sumo wrestler walks into Japanese arcade, shows off amazing rhythm game drum skills【Video】

Casey Baseel
Jul 19, 2016

You won’t want to take this guy on in the ring or at the arcade.

Japan
(Arcades • awesome • drums • funny • music • Sumo • sumo wrestlers • taiko • Taiko no Tatsujin • video • video games)

Six of our favorite songs performed on traditional Japanese instruments to get you to the weekend

Preston Phro
Jan 28, 2016

From “Shake it off” to “Smooth Criminal”, these Japanese cover songs will definitely have you tapping your toes!

Internet, Japan
(biwa • koto • music • pop • rock • Shake it Off • shakuhachi • shamisen • taiko)

Machine that perfectly plays Taiko Master is totally mesmerizing and totally cheating【Video】

KK Miller
Jan 27, 2016

Machines will completely rule our lives someday, so why not have them help us with our video games now?

Internet, Japan
(cool • taiko • taiko master • Taiko no Tatsujin • technology • video • video games)

Dragon Ball & Attack on Titan’s theme songs—recreated with taiko, flutes, and beatboxing!【Video】

Preston Phro
Nov 27, 2015

Whether you’re a fan of anime or not, you’ll love Shinpu’s covers of Attack on Titan and Dragon Ball’s theme songs combining Japanese flutes, taiko, and even beatboxing.

Internet, Japan
(Attack on Titan • beatboxing • Japanese flute • music • taiko • video • YouTube)

Master drummers are lurking in Japanese game centers

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Aug 28, 2014

Sure, you’ve all heard of Dance Dance Revolution (affectionately called DDR by stomp dancing fans everywhere). But how about Taiko no Tatsujin? Translated as “Drum Master,” this arcade game gives players a faux taiko drum to bang out a predetermined rhythm, doling out points for perfect on-time hits. It’s been around in Japan since 2001, but there seems to be no shortage of amazing drummers turning up in game centers across Japan. The photo above, showing two enthusiastic taiko drummers playing the game with movements that are the equivalent of using that extra bar to launch yourself in the air while playing DDR, surfaced on Twitter just this week…which got us thinking, how many other crazy drummers have been spotted in Japanese game centers?

Japan
(master • taiko • Taiko no Tatsujin • video games)

Rocking out with the Wagakki Band: Giving vocaloids a human voice

Preston Phro
Oct 18, 2013

While vocaloids like Hatsune Miku are still relatively unknown in the West, they have quite the following in Japan and can be found taking part in everything from live concerts to limited edition smartphones. Though some may worry that the digital singers mean the end of “human” music, so far that’s hardly been the case. In fact, it’s nothing strange to find regular bands performing cover songs of vocaloid originals!

One band has taken the concept a step further by introducing some unique, traditional elements and are garnering quite a bit of attention among Japanese Internet users. Meet the Wagakki Band with Yuko Suzuhana and get ready to rock!