Kenny Endo in His Prime

After 50 years of taiko drumming, Hawai‘i’s master taiko ambassador remains as passionate as ever, and he’s celebrating his golden anniversary with concerts, workshops, demonstrations and more.

July 18, 2025

Diane Seo,

Photo: Bob Hsiang

When reflecting on the art of taiko, Kenny Endo refers to a Japanese phrase, kiri ga nai, which translates to “limitless” or the lack of an end point. It not only describes the longevity of his own musical career—he’s celebrating his 50th anniversary as a taiko drummer—but to taiko’s continued global growth.

“My number one philosophy is that it’s never too late to learn taiko, or too early,” Endo says, adding that his Taiko Center of the Pacific, which he founded and runs with his wife, Chizuko, offers classes for children as young as 2 to seniors in their 80s.

He attributes taiko’s popularity to its soulful nature, describing it as a visceral experience for those performing it as well as for those listening to it. “The actual sound of the taiko grabs you because you can feel it, not just with your ears, but the vibration down to your bones,” he says.

During Endo’s celebrated career as a master taiko performer, teacher and ambassador, he shared the Japanese art form with people not just in Hawai‘i, but across the world. When he started playing in 1975, he was living in California, home to the only three taiko groups outside of Japan. He studied with San Francisco Taiko Dojo, then moved to Japan in 1980, intending to stay for about a year. Instead, he spent 10 years there learning the intricacies of his art.

Now, he says, there are thousands of groups in the U.S., Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. “It’s really fascinating to see how people have embraced it,” he says. “And while some of them have a Japanese heritage, the majority of them do not.”

Photo: Bob Hsiang

For his 50th anniversary celebration next month, Endo has planned two big concerts, on Aug. 9 and 10, at UH’s John. F. Kennedy Theatre, along with workshops, demonstrations and a film screening of the taiko documentary, Healing Beats. “The first day of the concert, I’ll be collaborating with my teachers, doing some traditional music and collaborating with local artists, local jazz artists, some symphony musicians and a couple of martial artists,” Endo says. The following evening, youth and adult groups from the Taiko Center of the Pacific will perform both new and established compositions.

There are too many career highlights for Endo to list, but one of his most cherished memories is of a 1989 performance in Moscow, just two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the nation, was in attendance. “When I met other artists and the people over there, they were so welcoming, warmhearted and willing to share. It made me realize that people are the same everywhere and that it’s governments that are fighting. That was a great experience for me.”

As far as what’s kept him performing and touring all these years, he loves the meditative experience of “feeling the music,” as he says. Even after half a century, Endo says he still looks forward to practicing an hour or two every day. “It’s the time I can discover my strengths and weaknesses or what my condition is that day. It’s a great example of a mind-body connection, the spiritual harmony of putting all those elements together.”

Photo: Bob Hsiang

Concerts: MA vs Groove I & II

Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.

Traditional Japanese music and dance, and contemporary taiko collaborations
with special guest artists.

$70 ($30 for youths up to age 20), John F. Kennedy Theatre, UH Mānoa, 1770 East-West Road

Aug. 10 at 4 p.m.

Featuring adult and youth performing group members (and special guest alumns) from the Taiko Center of the Pacific, Kenny and Chizuko Endo’s Honolulu-based school of traditional and contemporary Japanese drumming.

$70 ($30 for youths up to age 20), John F. Kennedy Theatre, UH Mānoa, 1770 East-West Road