‘Taiko to America’ Introduces Japanese Culture to Ashland

Two Sisters Travel to America to Teach Students About Japan

Shunka Sakuda and Waka Sakuda are sisters living in Okinawa Japan.  

They’ve been practicing the traditional art of Taiko dance, since they were young, and now, perform in Okinawa and around the world as part of Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko.

“Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko is a team, we play Eisaa it’s a part of a traditional Okinawan dance, and karate, and some other traditional stuff mixed together and create more modern dance,” said Waka.

At the beginning of the school year, the sisters began teaching taiko dance to the students at Ashland High school and middle school, using Google chat.

“We did skype Okinawa to here, it was 10 o’clock at night for us, and 8oclock in the morning for them,” said Shunka.

Now, thanks to grants from the AFS-USA and Global Partnership Japan, the students and their taiko teachers are meeting face to face, for in person lessons.

After months of practice, the students are performing the dance at the AHS Richard D. Sundberg Gymnasium tonight for a performance that is free and open to the public.

Shunka , who has been practicing Taiko dance from the time she was a young child, says the students are quick to learn, and the students are enjoying learning a little bit about a country from the other side of the world

“It’s been a great experience, I mean, bringing in a different culture in to ours, learning about diversity and all that, it’s just been a great experience,” said Ethan Eng, a student at AHS.