Some Thoughts on Timing To be honest, I hesitated myself about offering this retreat at this time. With what is happening in the world, I completely understand why someone might feel unsure about joining. At the same time, there are a few things I find myself reflecting on. Not as persuasion, but simply as thoughts I would like to share. This may not be something to postpone to “someday” We don’t know how the world will look next year. Things may become more stable — or they may not. In a...

Most people have seen taiko on a stage. Performers in matching happi coats, precise choreography, a climax that earns applause. That version of taiko is real. But it is not what taiko was originally for. Before the Stage: Taiko as Community Function Historically, taiko did not exist to be watched. It existed to coordinate. In matsuri, the drum served a practical role: gathering people, marking the beginning of ritual activity, and helping a procession move through the town. The sound reached...

This retreat takes place in Minami-Shinshu, where festivals continue as living communal practices rather than staged events. On August 22, we join the Omiya Suwa Shrine Autumn Festival, carrying or supporting the mikoshi alongside local residents. Participation is made possible through trusted relationships, not tourism access. In a region where traditions endure quietly across generations, ritual functions as living infrastructure, sustaining memory, responsibility, and belonging.