YAMATO was founded by Masa Ogawa in 1993 in Nara, 'the land of Yamato', which is said to be the birthplace of Japanese culture.  Presently based in Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture, the performers travel all over the world with Japan's traditional Wadaiko drums.  They put their very souls into these unusual instruments whose sound stir the hearts of people everywhere.  Their performances are infused with the idea that the drumbeat, like the heartbeat, is the very pulse of life. 

Wadaiko is a drum believed to have existed in many parts of the world.  Yamato is both the former name for Nara, the city where the group is based, and for Japan itself.  It is also a special word for the Japanese, evoking a peaceful and artistically important period of Japan’s history. 

WADAIKO YAMATO brings a new and youthful vigor to Taiko drumming.  It is a never-to-be-forgotten experience, inspiring and intensely physical, with a beat resonating from the delicate tapping of falling rain to explosions of rhythmic exhilaration. 
  
Yamato, the Drummers of Japan is both a cultural and artistic experience. The performance features 10 drummers on stage, performing selections with such variety as Rekka (Fierce Fire) to Lion (Thunder) with drums varying in size from six inches to six feet across. The theatrical and lighting components of the show add to the intensity and virtuosity of each individual drummer as well as the entire ensemble. 
  
The introduction of the actual instruments will provide a history of Japan’s musical instruments dating back to the 15th century such as cymbals, gongs, flutes, koto (Japanese zither) and shamisen (Japanese lute).  Blending all of these sounds, the rhythms the drummers perform are sometimes intense, sometimes funny, and warm, expressing different moods, times and places. 
  
The metaphysical aim of the musicians is to link their hearts and souls with the beatings of the drums. Founder Masaki Ogawa explains, “We are a group of people who create the beat of life by using a simple and interesting instrument and instill our souls into it.”