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TAIKO
Taiko means drum in Japanese. Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums in Japan and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming .
The Taiko is of Chinese origin and was brought to Japan between the Yayoi period (500 BC - 300 AD) via the Korean peninsula. Along with the martial use of the Taiko drums, they also held a strong foundation in the court style music called Gagaku. You would expect to find this style of music held in the castles and shrines across ancient Japan
In feudal Japan, taiko were often used to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace, and to call out orders or announcements. Approaching or entering a battle, the taiko yaku (drummer) was responsible for setting the marching pace, usually with six paces per beat of the drum (beat-2-3-4-5-6, beat-2-3-4-5-6). According to one of the historical chronicles (the Gunji Yoshu), nine sets of five beats would summon an ally to battle, while nine sets of three beats, sped up three or four times is the call to advance and pursue an enemy.
One of the most defining drums of any Taiko ensemble is the odaiko. The odaiko is the largest drum in all of Taiko if not the entire world.
