Taiko Experience: Traditional Japanese Drumming for All

Discover the joy of Taiko drumming! Engage in a full-body workout, relieve stress, and connect with Japanese culture. Perfect for all ages and skill levels.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 3-chōme-20-18 Daizōji - From Kyoto Station for a 12-minute train ride, followed by an 10-minute cab ride to the venue.
    First, you’ll get a brief explanation of Taiko’s history, showing its importance in Japanese culture.
    Next, you’ll try simple calligraphy, writing your wishes on a Hachimaki (a traditional Japanese headband).
    You’ll then watch a…
What's Included
  • Car to and from the studio, about 2000yen (4 people can get on one cab)
  • Guide: Languages offered: English
  • Japanese Hachimaki (Headband)
  • One-way ticket to JR TAKATSUKI station
  • Taiko (Japanese drum) instructor
  • Japanese drum Taiko experience
What's Not Included
  • For those observing without participating in the drumming, the cost is 9000 yen per person.
  • Please pay in cash (Japanese yen) at the drum studio on the day of the tour.
  • Please notify us if there are any observers. Without notice, transportation may not be arranged.
Additional Information

Taiko is a traditional musical instrument that anyone can enjoy right away.
The experience of practicing together, playing one song, and becoming one with others is one of the most valuable experiences in Japan.
This studio’s drums are made in the traditional way, by hollowing them out of a large single tree and they are very rare.
You can enjoy real…

Location
Kyoto Station
Central Ticket Gate of JR kyoto station (NOT Shinkansen Central Ticket Gate) Details: The meeting point is on the north side of JR Kyoto Station, where you can see Kyoto Tower. It is located on the ground. Your guide holds Taiko,Japanese Drum signboard.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(74 Ratings)
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Lightpacker326944
Aug 6, 2025
Fantastic time having a music lesson - This was fun!!!!! Our family of 4 loved everything about the Taikido Drum experience. The drums are so resonant, you feel the sound all the way through the chest. It was awesome to learn about the drums; even better to hear our sensei play; and an absolute delight to get to try it ourselves. Mr. Sakura skillfully and patiently helped us learn a piece. The drums are very forgiving, so that after about 30 minutes of fun learning and practice, we were able to play the piece together and sound reasonable. The whole experience was an awesome music lesson on an instrument we would never get to play. Our guides made everything easy, meeting us at Kyoto station and helping us navigate the train to get to the studio, just a brief train journey away. We had such a great time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James_p
Jul 29, 2025
Taiko Drum Experience - The Taiko drum experience was very well organized. Michiko was very kind and helpful. The instructor was very professional as well. Both her and the instructor went out of their way to encourage participation and make sure that everyone had an enjoyable time. The experience involves learning about the history of Taiko drumming, practicing a song and culminates in a group recital of the song. I would highly recommend this cultural experience.
Review provided by Viator
A495potamarab
Jul 27, 2025
Great experience - heaps of fun! - Our Taiko Drumming experience was fantastic! Michiko guided us on the train from Kyoto station to the drumming workshop - she was incredibly friendly and even helped teach us some Japanese slang! We learnt the history of Taiko and once at the workshop learnt how to play through a few different rhythms. The whole experience was super organised and easy to understand. For anyone interested in music, this was a great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rmh618fn
Jul 20, 2025
Family Taiko drumming - My kids (ages 10 and 15) and I decided to try a Taiko drum experience. We met our guide Akemi at the Kyoto station and took the train to Osaka. Akemi was sweet, personable and gave us a presentation about the history of Taiko drumming that we all enjoyed. Our drummer Yusuke was incredible-he taught us how to drum and perform a full song at the end! It was such a unique family experience that we all enjoyed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeremyl83
Jul 10, 2025
Highly recommended experience - This was the most fantastic experience. Akemi met us at the station and while on the train ride to the Taiko studio explained everything to us. Aoi was the most talented teacher and taiko drummer! Aoi’s performance live was brilliant, engaging and precisely in time with the colleague on video. Aoi taught well, introducing and demonstrating each stage and we were able to record a really satisfying performance at the end. Such a great session - highly recommended experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarinndavidp
Jul 6, 2025
Japanese taiko - It was a very pleasant moment for my son and me — an interactive experience in Japanese tradition. Our guide and instructor were attentive and friendly. Thank you !!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alyssa_e
Jul 2, 2025
Wonderful! - Michiko our guide and Aoi our Taiko musician were both fabulous! It was so much fun to experience this part of Japanese tradition. We wrote kanji on headbands and learned some simple measures of music. It was a great experience!
Review provided by Viator
Mikenw5033iq
Jun 24, 2025
Just go- you will NOT be sorry!! - Went with my wife and two adult sons- Such a great time!! Our guide Michiko was very friendly and the class was not only fun but extremely informative. I’m also a professional drummer who is always eager to learn new things - especially concepts from other parts of the world. But the class was presented in such a way that it was really enjoyable for my family as well. We all laughed and really got into what we were doing!! Michiko met us at Kyoto Station where we grabbed a quick train ride (one stop!) to where there were two clean, new vans waiting for our group for a quick ride over to the studio. The studio was very new, clean and organized- the drums themselves were all beautiful and great to play. We had a quick history lesson and then it was time to actually learn some techniques and in no time at all, we played a whole song! Amazing… Please do yourself a favor and go immerse yourself in this centuries-old art form. I promise you will love it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth_r
Jun 19, 2025
Phenomenal experience - We felt so lucky to learn about the tradition of taiko and get a lesson from Aoi. A unique and exhilarating experience! Akemi, our guide and interpreter, was helpful from the start. Five/five stars, would recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Joseph
Jun 17, 2025
Japanese Traditional Taiko Drum Experience in Kyoto. Amazing)!!!! - Our family of six (with kids aged 7, 10, 12, and 13) had an absolute blast at this taiko drum experience in Kyoto. It ended up being one of the true highlights of our trip to Japan! From the start, everything was well-organized. Michiko, our guide, met us right at Kyoto Station and made the entire meetup process smooth and stress-free. Her clear instructions were incredibly helpful, especially in such a large and busy train station. The class itself was fantastic, high-energy, fun, and accessible for all ages. Our kids were engaged the entire time, and we adults had just as much fun as they did! The experience was not only unique and culturally rich, but also surprisingly energizing and joyful. We left smiling, sweaty, and totally satisfied. Highly recommended for families or anyone looking to try something different and memorable in Kyoto. Or Osaka. Thank you Michiko and team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $119
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).