Our luck with the weather was running out, as Day 5 of the Cool Winter Japan tour was overcast and wet. Perhaps it was nothing but a precursor to the weather we would encounter the next day in the north island of Hokkaido? But NO WAY was a little bad weather going to stop the tour.

Today was a sort of half free day, where those interested could participate in a specialized tour to explore in depth a facet of Japanese culture. In collaboration with H.I.S. Experience Japan, today's main course was a personalized lesson in Taiko drumming, followed by a stroll to the lively area of Asakusa.

The group made its way out to Tawaramachi and spent some time at the Taiko Drum museum learning about the instruments we were about to bang on. We walked around the area behind Asakusa and arrived at the Taiko Center in just a few minutes.

We were greeted by our taiko instructor for the day, who guided us down into the basement. Walking through the big steel doors, we silently wondered where we were going to be making so much noise. Then, after another massive steel door, we entered the sound-proof taiko room. Once we had a quick few minutes to stretch, we finally had our bachi in hand and were ready to pound out the beats on our drums!

Our drumming session was exceptional. Not only did we find that taiko was a great way to have fun and get some exercise, we also discovered that it was a great way to get rid of stress! Everyone really got into the beats as we pounded away at the taiko drums and made some noise and got crazy. Our instructor led us through several simple-to-follow repetitions of different ryhtms and beats, and then let us take turns in the spotlight, each filling the whole room with the thunderous sound of their taiko soul! Though I was left with sore arms for the next few days (I kind of overdid it), I personally think the taiko drumming session was one of the most interesting and fun parts of the tour. It was also a great way for the group members to just let loose and have fun with each other.