Janet Komoto (Ontario) is a Taiko drummer who started performing and teaching this Japanese percussion tradition in 2000. Many of her students are 4th and 5th generation Japanese-Americans.
Bio
Janet Komoto, a Chinese American born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, truly represents the melting pot of cultures that is Ontario, Oregon. Despite their Chinese ancestry, Komoto's parents always encouraged their three daughters to be "American." Perhaps sensing a need to reconnect, Komoto embraced traditional art forms upon relocating to Ontario over 30 years ago. In 1999, a taiko drumming troupe performed in Ontario for the first time. Within six months of the performance, Komoto had organized Kawa Taiko, a local Ontario-based taiko drumming ensemble. That first year, 19 community members participated in the training classes. Although she had no formal training in the tradition, Komoto took on three roles: student, teacher, and group leader. Fortunately, the taiko group leader in Pocatello, Idaho was able to offer assistance in the organizational area. With loans from Ontario's Japanese-American Citizens League and the Buddhist temple, the group was soon equipped with drums. Their steep learning curve was facilitated by reference books, instructional videos, master workshops at regional and national conferences, and to this day, a continuous sharing of knowledge with other taiko groups in the region and beyond. Well into her second decade leading the group, Komoto's students today are 4th and 5th generation Japanese Americans who share her passion for the unique art form. "I hope when people play," Komoto remarked, "they play with heart, with spirit, with soul."
