Since its formation in 1993, Yamato has played to more than a million people, giving over 1,500 performances in about a dozen different countries, and yet the performers’ enthusiasm remains undiminished. They continue to travel with several dozen large and small drums (including an odaiko made from a huge tree over 400 years old), displaying the instruments' versatility and instinctive appeal, both in extemporized street performances and in concert halls holding several thousand people.  Besides their travels throughout Japan, they have been on numerous overseas tours to China, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as to South America and Europe.  

YAMATO’s world travels began in August 1998, when they took part in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  It was a huge success, and although the theatre was small, they performed to full houses and won the Spirit of Fringe award.  From February to May 1999, they toured five European countries; Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Austria, giving a total of 70 concerts.  In June of that year they were invited to the Israel Festival, performing five times in Jerusalem and elsewhere.  They were invited back to the Netherlands in August, playing at the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam.  They made a third tour, from late August to October, this time to South America.  It was an important year for them; traveling long distances and performing for several hundred thousand people.  

In the year 2000, after performing in Osaka and Tokyo in February, they had an especially challenging tour of Britain, in March, where they played 27 times in the course of the month.  The tour was a great success, attracting 30,000 people. Back in Japan, they toured and performed in 60 schools between September and November.  

The first year of the 21st century, 2001, was a memorable one for Yamato.  They went on a world tour, from January to November, comprising 100 concerts in 6 countries in America, which was both the culmination of their pervious activities and a fresh start to their future.  Their concert tour of Japan, in December, brought down the curtain on a very successful year. 

Last year, 2002, they performed in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This tour was organized in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Japan, and of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, and Sri Lanka and Japan.  In July and August 2002, they performed in Germany, Italy and Spain.  

In 2003, they performed 170 shows in Europe in this year, then went to the USA and CANADA for 26 more performances.  In August Yamato performed in Japan to celebrate its TENTH ANNIVERSARY.  

In 2004, Yamato went to 23 countries from January to September, Qatar, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Slovene, Switzerland, Greece, Austria, and Holland.  They had just 100 performances.  In November they had 11 performances in Mexico.  In December we went to Hong Kong and Macau for 5 performances. 

In 2005, Yamato went to 10 countries from February to September for 127 performances, then did 25 performances in the USA during October and November.  

In 2006 Yamato went to the Philippines for the first time, for 4 performances, then went to Europe for 163 performances in 36 countries from January to October.