San Francisco Taiko Dojo Showroom

This review is not about the Taiko. There are amazing prints in this store by the Taiko master’s wife Kumiko Tanaka. She’s been making art since the 60s and they are beautiful. You can see different styles through time — some are more obvious Japanese/​asian art influence and others are modern. You have to spend the time to look through them piled on top of one another, but I found several I really loved.

the west coast oldest dojo outfit was a small office/​showroom? here
one can get tickets to future events, souvenirs, banners, posters, dvd’s. etc. here.
there’s a running taiko dojo fim on screen here. so cool.
luv taiko. luv this place.

When I went to this place to buy new bachi, it was a lot smaller than I pictured it. Despite the size though, it is crammed full of taiko-​ness. Service is great and very helpful, and don’t worry about taking your time. As long as you’re enthusiastic about taiko, it seems that you’ll be welcomed. :)

You know, I’ll probably be knocked on by the older folks, but if you’re going to bother to have a website with your hours, you should post exceptions or additions for shows. Now I know to call — hopefully this will work next time.
I made a trek out to SF today to buy bachi. Yeah, I forgot they’re having their taiko festival at YBCA, so I arrived at Jtown to a closed door and a sign saying they’re at YBCA. Had some people near YBCA, so they checked it out, and apparently what I wanted was at the showroom, but not with them at the show. Poo.
Their products are good, if a bit premium on the price, but man always buffer yourself for the first trip possibly being unsuccesful because for one reason or another, the shop isn’t always open all the time it’s supposed to be open [somehow this wasn’t the first time it’s been closed on a non-​wednesday when I went]. They also didn’t have the bachi I was looking for, in stock the last time. oh well.
It’s a small shop, run old school style, so think old-​school and CALL BEFORE YOU GO!

Very poor organizational skills here — I tried to book some taiko players for a party, and I received no reply from repeated requests (by e-​mail and by phone). I have no idea of their skills — they seem to want to keep them hidden from the larger community. The «store» is a joke. Stay clear. This is a scam for the unwary tourist in Japantown.

Feeling the Japanese white oak bachi and purchasing a single set for myself made my day when I was visiting San Francisco. The cost for a pair of bachi is around 33 dollars, but it’s definitely worth it, especially when japanese white oak bachi are hard to find.
Besides the amazing moment when the bachi leaves a white wood dust powder on your hands… another fact you’ll be amazed about is how small that store is. It’s the twice the size of a large closet at most. When you walk in you’ll see a taiko performance on the store tv and you’ll continue hearing the «don“s and «kara“s as you buy yourself a pair.
I have to agree with the other Unilocalers on the peculiar store operation hours. I went in at noon and an hour later the doors were closed making me wonder if it randomly opens and closes between 12 – 6 pm because it’s that legit. Hell, if I was really cool and pro at taiko I guess I would be erratic too.

ok, so there aren’t that many places you can get quality bachi (taiko drumsticks) or tabi (traditional Japanese footwear) but sheesh, it’s super hard to figure out when the SFTD showroom/​store is open. anytime i have to go get something, i have to make sure i budget a whole entire day because it almost always requires checking once, twice, three sometimes even four times to make sure the place is open. call before you go, and keep calling until you get there.

Well it’s a bit of a love-​hate relationship because the EGO on the Tanaka-​sensei is on a level of a J-​town Hollywood (small time) OhDaiko. He now has a very well spoken son to promote the TAIKO in the realm of athletic musicianship. Check it out if you can get tickets for the International Taiko Festival… this weekend Sat. & Sun. Sept. 15−16…YBCA 415.978−2797
415.928.2456.
.
AMAZING POWER and athletic rhythms… but sometimes I wonder if it might be better for some folks to be plugging up with earplugs if they play. Doesn’t it affect your hearing? WHAT ?! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Jya mata concert de aimashooo! Whatevah, Sensei…