About
Oakland Taiko offers taiko drumming through weekly classes, monthly Sunday workshops, and performances at events. Participants take part in beginner classes on Wednesdays, kids’ classes on Saturdays, and monthly beginner and intro workshops. Activities also include drum building, drum maintenance, and performing at cultural celebrations, street festivals, weddings, and taiko concerts.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Monthly beginner and intro workshops on Sundays and weekly classes, including beginner classes on Wednesdays and kids’ classes for ages 8 and up on Saturdays
Members have been part of the East Bay taiko community since 1998, with 25 years of taiko experience. Taiko is taught in the tradition of martial arts, and classes include physical training, taiko history, and drumming skills. Monthly Sunday workshops are described as a “taster” of what classes are like, and taiko drumming is described as a combination of Japanese drumming, dance, and theatrics. The repertoire includes songs taught by visiting instructors, compositions by senior students, permissioned pieces from other groups, and “open source” arrangements.
Emeryville Taiko, which uses the trademark Oakland Taiko, became a non-profit, registered 501(c)(3) organization in 2003 and is designated a public charity under section 509(a)(2). Emeryville Taiko was originally an Oakland-based taiko class for children taught by Yuri Morita under the guidance of Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, with Susan Horn as assistant director who later became the instructor and in 1998 established the group as Emeryville Taiko. Oakland Taiko is a trademark of Emeryville Taiko, and donations to Oakland Taiko support its stated mission to bring the joy of taiko to more people and events in local communities.
Members have been performing at festivals and local events for 25 years, with performances year-round in the Bay Area at cultural celebrations, street festivals, weddings, and taiko concerts. Many of the drums are hand-built by dojo members and volunteers, and a drum building project completed 11 new taiko and many drum stands between 2023 and 2025. The drum building project was funded in part by the Taiko Community Alliance, a grant from the Alameda County Arts Commission ARTSFUND, and donations from friends, fans, and supporters, and the group is able to host full-size classes and performances with its own equipment.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Monthly beginner and intro workshops on Sundays and weekly classes, including beginner classes on Wednesdays and kids’ classes for ages 8 and up on Saturdays
Members have been part of the East Bay taiko community since 1998, with 25 years of taiko experience. Taiko is taught in the tradition of martial arts, and classes include physical training, taiko history, and drumming skills. Monthly Sunday workshops are described as a “taster” of what classes are like, and taiko drumming is described as a combination of Japanese drumming, dance, and theatrics. The repertoire includes songs taught by visiting instructors, compositions by senior students, permissioned pieces from other groups, and “open source” arrangements.
Emeryville Taiko, which uses the trademark Oakland Taiko, became a non-profit, registered 501(c)(3) organization in 2003 and is designated a public charity under section 509(a)(2). Emeryville Taiko was originally an Oakland-based taiko class for children taught by Yuri Morita under the guidance of Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, with Susan Horn as assistant director who later became the instructor and in 1998 established the group as Emeryville Taiko. Oakland Taiko is a trademark of Emeryville Taiko, and donations to Oakland Taiko support its stated mission to bring the joy of taiko to more people and events in local communities.
Members have been performing at festivals and local events for 25 years, with performances year-round in the Bay Area at cultural celebrations, street festivals, weddings, and taiko concerts. Many of the drums are hand-built by dojo members and volunteers, and a drum building project completed 11 new taiko and many drum stands between 2023 and 2025. The drum building project was funded in part by the Taiko Community Alliance, a grant from the Alameda County Arts Commission ARTSFUND, and donations from friends, fans, and supporters, and the group is able to host full-size classes and performances with its own equipment.
Last updated June 21, 2026.
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