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Taiko, Selves, Japan; Travels with My Garbage Can, World Connecting Drums

Taiko, Selves, Japan; Travels with My Garbage Can, World Connecting Drums

Volume 1 Number 2, Autumn 2010 pp. 109-127(19)
Research Article
2010/9/1
Creighton, Millie
Through the telling of three stories about confrontations with personal identity after returning from fieldwork on taiko drumming in Japan, this article addresses the identity crisis many researchers undergo in discovering their research on the 'other' leads to new comprehensions of the 'self.' It explores differential concepts of self-identity for those utilizing taiko to symbolize Japanese identity, and those outside Japan using it to symbolize an identity of Nikkei, people of Japanese descent with other place histories and heritages. By showing how drumming connections between people in different parts of the world lead to shifts in what is considered acceptable, the article suggests people can change culturally ingrained practices that work against the human rights of certain members. It advocates apprenticeship-style involvement as a research method, the telling of stories from in and out of the field, and the recognition that 'tradition' and 'identity' both involve on-going processes allowing change.
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