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Lessons Learned
Reflections of the Matsukawa
Kyougaku Taiko Concert Tour to Turkey
Written
by Gaku Homma
November 15th, 2006
Last solo rehearsal at the Istanbul Technical
University amphitheater.
After checking through immigrations at the Istanbul Airport,
all ten drummers paused on their way to their gate to smile and
wave farewell. They all had a glow on their faces, a look that
reflected the success of the last week together in Turkey. The
Turkish volunteer staff, which had spent countless hours volunteering
their time to coordinate the AHAN International Concert Series
2006 in Ankara, Cappadocia and Istanbul, Turkey stood and watched
as the drummers stopped to wave. We all waved back to the new
friends the drummers had become on this trip to Turkey.
Housewives, government workers, social workers, business owners,
farmers and even a pharmacist; all ten drummers are ordinary
people with their own lives, careers and families waiting for
them back home in Matsukawa, Japan. Ordinary maybe, but standing
in front of their drums with a set of drumsticks in their hands,
the Matsukawa Kyougaku Taiko drummers become transformed into
something quite extraordinary.
You can almost see a spark, as the drummers come alive; their
entire beings concentrated on the drums before them. I have been
watching these drummers for six years, and I think I am finally
just beginning to understand a little bit about where their power
might come from. It is the same power I have witnessed in extraordinary
martial artists as well.
Matsukawa Village first began high in the Northern Japanese
Alps of Honshu island in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, centuries
ago. Today, surrounded by the majestic mountain peaks, the Matsukawa
Kyougaku Taiko Drummers live their lives in Matsukawa Village
and practice their drumming at the Matsukawa dojo. These drummers
have played their drums in concert all over the islands of Japan
and in countries all over the world.
In conjunction with AHAN, (the Aikido Nippon Kan Active Network)
and Nippon Kan Headquarters in Denver, Colorado, the drummers
have performed many fundraising concerts to promote humanitarian
aid and cultural awareness.
In 2004 the Matsukawa Drummers performed a fundraising concert
series for AHAN humanitarian efforts in Mongolia in Denver and
Telluride Colorado USA , co-sponsored by the Consul General of
Japan to Denver, the Japanese America Society and the Japan Association.
In 2005 the drummers performed another series of concerts in
conjunction with AHAN Rio de Janeiro to support AHAN humanitarian
assistant programs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, co-sponsored by
the Consul General of Japan to Rio de Janeiro, the Nagano Prefecture
Association and the Rio de Janeiro Sports Association.
LIVE! On Turkish Television.
In 2006, AHAN’s International Concert Series featured
the Matsukawa Drummers in Turkey where on a whirlwind tour, the
drummers performed three major concerts in three different cities,
were featured live on numerous television and radio stations
and were photographed and interviewed for articles in all of
the major newspapers. All of this in one week’s time!
The Japanese Embassy to Turkey co-sponsored this
concert series in Turkey; the first concert held in the capitol
city of Ankara, the second in the world heritage city of Urgup-and
Cappadocia and the third concert held in the historical city
of Istanbul. All three concerts were incredibly successful due
to the talent of the drummers and the generosity and support
of all of the Turkish staff and supporters. I give my sincere
thanks to everyone for all of their help, time and energy!
The drummers with the Japanese Ambassador at the
Embassy mansion in Ankara.
Before the first concert in Ankara, Ambassador Tomoyuki Abe
held a luncheon for all of the drummers at the Japanese Embassy
mansion. Ambassador Abe was a gracious host and wished all of
the drummers well on their adventure ahead.
Ambassador Abe spoke to the drummers before
the luncheon. “For
centuries, the two countries of Turkey and Japan have had a good
relationship. However, there is a great distance between our
two countries not only geographically, Historically there have
been no wars or other problems between Turkey and Japan, but
friendly relations do not necessarily equal culture understanding.
I travel every day from my residence to the
Japanese Embassy in Ankara in a diplomatic car. The automobile
in which I travel has a Japanese flag attached to the antenna.
As I pass through the streets of Ankara, the people of Ankara
smile and wave. This I believe is a friendly gesture, but I
also realize that this friendliness does not reflect an understanding
of Japan or Japanese culture. Our job here in Ankara is to
build this friendliness into a deeper cultural understanding
between our two countries.”
I agree with the words of the Ambassador. I am
a Japanese martial artist that too has lived outside of Japan
for decades. I am honored to have many students, and the opportunities
to travel to many countries. As a leader in AHAN I have had many
wonderful experiences with the people I have met, but I too have
learned that friendliness and enthusiasm does not always equal
an understanding of Japan or Japanese culture.
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Foreigners who live in Japan to study Japanese
martial arts or other cultural studies STILL attract attention,
sometimes even making the news with the local media especially
in rural Japan. “The
blue eyed gaijin (foreigner) joined the festival last week…” the
papers might say. It doesn’t matter if the foreigner in
question really has blue eyes or not, it is a colloquial term
for all people from other developed countries in Japan to be
called “blue eyes”. This actually is a term of endearment
and respect in Japan and “blue eyes” are of even
greater value in the smaller towns and villages in the Japanese
countryside.
While most foreigners that live in Japan contribute positively
to the local communities in which they live, the unqualified
admiration of Westerners by Japanese people has on occasion been
taken advantage of or misunderstood. I have seen foreign martial
art students for example who after training in Japan have returned
to their own country with a false sense of their own accomplishments
due to the innocent admiration bestowed upon them in Japan.
In my experience, for foreigners to believe that they understand
Japanese people or culture because they have visited Japan, even
if they have lived there for a while, is a mistake. It is also
a mistake for Japanese people to think they understand America
or American people even if they have lived in the United States
for long periods of time. It is an illusion on both parts. In
Japan, sometimes Japanese people make an assumption that foreigners
who can eat raw octopus or speak some Japanese, must understand
Japan and Japanese culture. This also holds true in reverse;
in the United States, sometimes American people make the same
assumptions if someone from Japan speaks fluent English for example.
This sociological trait of unqualified admiration of Westerners
has been evident in Japanese history since the Meiji period when
Japan was first introduced to European and eventually American
ways in the world. This first introduction to the outside world
had an interesting effect on Japanese people and an important
effect on their culture.
“Yoko kaeri” is a Japanese term used to describe
affluent Japanese who (even as early as the late 1800’s)
traveled to Europe to tour or even study abroad. Not only did
these Japanese travelers become “instant experts” on
Western culture, but upon their return, but there was a tendency
for them to look down upon their own traditions and culture;
preferring instead to exercise the latest in Western trends and
fashion.
Neighbors, families and friends of these
new “cultured” Japanese
travelers looked up to the travelers exhibiting this new “yoko
kaeri” attitude with an innocent sense of awe; marveling
at the traveler’s experiences and new wisdom of the ways
of the world. New Western fashions became more of the norm as
Japanese people back home imitated these new trends brought back
from the foreign lands abroad.
Even in our modern world, this phenomenon
still exists today in Japan, manifesting itself as the “blue eyed gaijin syndrome”.
Relationships built upon this foundation have throughout history
been mostly positive, but many misunderstandings can and have
occurred between people in Japan and in Western countries do
to a basic lack of understanding in the fact that cultures and
values as well as environments are truly different in each country.
To understand each other, I think we first must understand that
there are basic integral differences in people raised in different
cultures. This sounds like a very simple point, but if we understand
this point, we can work towards a more real understanding of
one other. It is dangerous to assume that people might be thinking,
feeling or seeing the same way when dealing with people from
different backgrounds and cultures. Cross-cultural exchange IS
this process of true discovery about one another, and in my experience
comes from A. working together and B. understanding the differences
as well as the similarities between cultures.
When the Matsukawa Kyougaku Taiko Drummers
travel to other countries to play their music, it is not only
the performances and the audience’s response to the music
that is valuable. This is not the only measure of the success
of a tour. What is more important for the drummers and all
of the people involved on a local level at each location is
the process of putting the concerts together.
In all of the planning, there are always challenges or problems
to solve and overcome; there are different cultures, languages,
traditions and beliefs to account for in the planning. It is
the working together on both sides of the aisle where the benefit
and learning arises in these cross-cultural projects. Projects
of this magnitude require a multi-level, multi-directional effort.
It is not just introducing Japanese culture to another country;
it is the people from all countries involved learning from each
other by DOING.
With an attitude of mutual openness, good
communication, relationships, friendships and success can be
achieved. As historically established, Japanese people have
had openness to other cultures. Many aspects of Japan’s
religions, foods, architecture, arts and life styles have all
been assimilated from the cultures of many other different
countries.
In my travels, studies, teaching and writing, if I were to take
the position that Japanese culture was superior to others in
the world, I would never have an opportunity to truly learn,
communicate, understand or in other ways have a true exchange
of ideas with people from other countries. Openness has been
always been an integral part of my philosophy and all of our
Nippon Kan activities.
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I have experienced two types of Japanese
drumming performances. The first type I would classify by the “show” they
put on. Special lighting, special effects, stage smoke, sound
systems, and flashy costumes define the power of their performances.
There was a very famous Japanese Taiko drumming group that came
to Denver to play in an outdoor amphitheater in the foothills
west of town a few years ago. Because the stage was not enclosed
in an indoor theater, many of the special effects could not be
used effectively and the performance fell flat. The power of
their performance laid with the technicians not the drummers.
For the other type of drummers, their power comes from their
souls and from the earth. The sound of their drums speaks of
real life, and is practiced every day in the festivals and celebrations
of families and their village. There is no need for special effects
with drummers like these; for the Matsukawa Kyougaku Taiko Drummers,
life in their village is plenty backdrop enough.
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Arriving
in Turkey at 2:00 am.; without rest,
the drummers spend
two hours checking and tuning their drums. |
I remember a day in Brazil when the Kyougaku Taiko Drummers
were on the AHAN International Concert Series Tour 2005 to Brazil.
We were in a small town outside of Rio de Janeiro, and were scheduled
to play at a local universities gymnasium. This particular gymnasium
happened to have a corrugated galvanized steel roof. When the
drummers tried to play their drums in rehearsal, the echo was
deafening and distorted the sound terribly. We soon decided that
there was no way a concert could be held in that gymnasium.
As people had already began to arrive to
see the concert, Mr. Chino, the leader of the group said “Why don’t we
move the drums outside to the grassy area under the tree.” The
problem was, the skies were threatening rain at any moment, and
rain on the drums could cause irreparable damage. Despite the
risk, Mr. Chino led the way as the drums were moved outside.
Remarkably, without a word, members of the audience picked up
their own chairs and quietly moved them outside. In just minutes,
the drums and the drummers were set up outside and the show went
on; and a fabulous show it was at that!
For the concert series 2006 in Turkey to
be organized, it took staff members in three different countries
to work together. Even with the aid of communication via e-mail,
we had three different languages to deal with as well; Japanese,
English and Turkish. We did our best to plan well in advance;
I even made two trips personally to Turkey in July and October
to help with the organization “on
the ground”. Last minute challenges and changes however
were inevitable. Again Mr. Chino proved himself to be a very
wise leader and very flexible toward any last minute adjustments
that had to be made. His wisdom and flexible attitude made him
easy to work with, putting the local Turkish staff at ease. Soon
everyone was working as a team, despite language and cultural
differences.
I imagine that if we had had a drumming group that required
a lot of high maintenance, special equipment and special effects
that the concerts in Turkey would have had to be cancelled. For
the Matsukawa drummers on the other hand, drumming is part of
their life and they are use to interaction with changing events
and situations. Their drumming is not separated by a stage or
confined to a script or menu.
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Ankara Coordinator Banu
helps
with the drums too! |
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Setting the stage. |
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Stretching; a secret
to the
drummer’s performance. |
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Homma Kancho as M.C.
and interpreter Megumi rehearsing seriously. |
For the concert in Istanbul, tickets were sold to raise funds
for the TEMA Foundation (the largest national environment protection
foundation in Turkey) and for the Turkey Kidney Foundation. Travel
expenses for the drummers while they were in Turkey were sponsored
by AHAN Nippon Kan General Headquarters. The drummers themselves
paid their own airfare and donated all of their performances.
The drummers donated their time and paid their own airfare because
they are great supporters of AHAN and were very enthusiastic
about being able to participate in this special tour.
The tour was not easy from start to finish. The schedule was
tight; there were many hours on the road between cities and little
sleep. The drummers caught the spirit and heart of the Turkish
people however and together made history.
At the beginning of the tour, Ambassador
Abe spoke about the need to take the next step towards showing
the people of Turkey the true nature of Japan and the Japanese
people. In my opinion, these ten drummers from the tiny village
of Matsukawa in Northern Japan did exactly that… once
again.
Before concluding this article I would like to mention all of
the people back home in the Matsukawa village that helped make
this tour possible. I want to thank everyone for supporting their
husbands, wives and co-workers in participating in the adventure.
Family, friends and neighbors of these drummers from Matsukawa
should all be very proud! If the village of Matsukawa had a soccer
team that went to the world cup finals, the village would be
crazy with excitement. These ten drummers have accomplished something
even greater; they have been able to inspire the people of another
country, bring tears of joy to thousands of people, and cause
enough sensation to be covered by the Turkish news media nation-wide!
You can be very proud!
I sincerely appreciate the continued support of the entire Matsukawa
Village, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, all of the Matsukawa Kyougaku
Taiko Drummers, and the support of staff and friends in Turkey,
Japan and the United States. Thank you all for a job well done!
Special Thanks to following:
Ankara
Embassy of Japan in Turkey
Ambassador of JapanTomoyuki Abe
Second secretary Mitsuhiro Toyama
Third secretary Akifumi Fukuoka
Turkey Japan Foundation Culture Center
Turkish Aikikai Aikido Ankara Students
Urgup City Leaders
Istanbul
Former Turkish Ambassador to Japan Mr. Yaman Baskut
Consul General of Japan Istanbul
Assistant Consul General Miho Adachi
The TEMA Foundation
Turkey Kidney Foundation
Istanbul Technical University
Turkish Airlines Istanbul Office
Albanian Airlines Turkish Office- Mr Seha Iscan
A TV
Turkish Aikikai Aikido –Ali Uludag Sensei
Turkish Aikikai Aikido Istanbul students
Turkish Staff Leaders
AHAN Nippon Kan Istanbul Coordinator Megumi Machi
AHAN Nippon Kan Ankara Coordinator Banu Alisverisci
Istanbul Historical bookstore owner
Matsukawa Kyougaku Taiko Drummers
Leader Eitaro Chino
Members
Nobuhiko Takahashi
Shigeru Yokoyama
Yuko Yamamoto
Yukika Matsuda
Keiko Kitazawa
Aya Yamamoto
Sanae Chino
Takako Matsushima
Yukari Nakajima
Chief Coordinator and Director and Staff
AHAN Nippon Kan General headquarter Denver Colorado U.S.A.
General Director Gaku Homma
General Coordinator Emily Busch
Nippon Kan Turkish communications Mehmet Kazgan
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