Takumi Kato is a world-renowned performer of wadaiko, or Japanese taiko drums. Since moving to the United States in 2022, Kato has been performing with his three sons, aiming to play 1000 shows across all 50 states. So far, they have performed over 440 times in 32 states, with Iowa as the most recent.
Under the name Peaceful Forest, Takumi Kato and his sons share the beauty of traditional drums and promote people-to-people connections through their performances on stage. In an interview with Young Professional Nanami Nishimoto, Kato explained that he drew the name “Peaceful Forest” from the heavily forested Gifu Prefecture where he was born and raised. After winning the grand prize in the Big Japanese Drum (o-daiko) category at the 7th Tokyo International Wadaiko Contest in 2008, he established a studio called “Forest of NUKUMORI,” which translates to the Forest of Warmth. Kato told the East-West Center that he hopes his performances can highlight the warm, soft timbre of Japanese drums and spread a message of peace. He spent the following year showing his appreciation for the town that raised him, going door to door playing the taiko to 1068 homes around his hometown of Ena City, where he has served as a tourism ambassador since 2010. His philanthropy centers around the bonds between families and the local community, which echoes in his performances in the United States.
While an international exchange student in West Virginia in 2001, he lost loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks. The tragedy became a turning point, inspiring him to dedicate his musical talents to promoting peace and healing through performance. In the years that followed, he gave around 150 memorial concerts to pay tribute to the lives lost and offer comfort through music. With a newfound zeal for world peace, he returned to Japan to hone his craft and deepen his artistic purpose. By the time he returned to the United States in 2022, he had a renewed mission: to make his dream of performing 1000 times in all 50 states across the United States a reality with the help of his wife and his three young children.
This ambitious journey did not come without its sacrifices. Kato canceled around 500 shows in Japan that were scheduled until 2028, put lessons for about 100 students on hold, and stepped down from judging at competitions and creating music. He sold his car, 17 of his precious taiko drums, and many other household belongings to raise enough money to finance their move across the Pacific. “I needed to start from zero, face my drums again, and travel across the United States together with my family—that’s the resolve that brought me here.”
Despite all Kato and his family left behind, their sacrifices came to fruition on American soil. When visiting rural communities in states like Montana and Idaho, he begins each set by sharing the history behind the taiko. Kato feels that his performances have facilitated cultural exchange in local communities, which his family has experienced firsthand, especially with indigenous communities in the United States. He recalled one nerve-wracking occasion when they performed for the Suquamish tribe in Washington. Despite the tense atmosphere, the second that they concluded their performance with a deep bow, the crowd erupted in cheers. The tribal leader commended this “incredibly powerful and meaningful exchange,” gifting them a handmade Suquamish necklace and blanket as a gesture of friendship. With a smile, Kato said that he felt gratitude from the bottom of his heart. “Moments like that make me feel grateful that we came to America...Especially when I get to connect with its culture and history, I genuinely feel thankful to have these cultural exchanges.”
For many Americans, experiencing the deep, reverberating sound of Japanese drums echoing in their chests is an unfamiliar feeling. Nevertheless, he hopes that the sound of drums can help those unfamiliar with Japanese culture to appreciate the beauty of cultural exchange. His audience can gain an appreciation for familial bonds and Japanese culture through these performances, but his dream does not end with achieving 1000 performances in all 50 states. “I still have a dream after that,” he shared in the interview. “I want to spend 20 years or so traveling to 160 countries around the world—developing countries too.” Each beat of his wadaiko around the globe would echo a message of world peace and unity that transcends language and borders.
Nanami Nishimoto is a Spring 2025 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. She is a graduate student at Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) with a B.A. in International Studies, majoring in IR and minoring in German.