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Established	11 November 1997
Endowment	\300Million
Chairman	Tadashi Hasegawa
Jurisdiction	Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
Address	Nippon Foundation No.2 Bldg. 6F, Toranomon 1-11-2, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan

Introduction

Taiko, Japanese drum, has been found in Japan amongst the relics from the B.C. periods. Throughout its history, Taiko has been playing an important role as a musical instrument. Recently, in addition to its role as a traditional instrument, new works have been composed and Taiko has established itself as a unique music genre.

In 1979, a strong rising desire to create a federation to promote Taiko and to foster friendships among Taiko players all over Japan resulted in the establishment of the natin-wide　private volunteer organization.

In November 1997, with Taiko players' fervent wishes, Nippon Taiko Foundation was officially established, replacing the original Nippon Taiko Federation, to further promote Japanese traditional Taiko culture both domestically and internationally. The establishment was made possible by the generous support from The Nippon Foundation.

Nippon Taiko Foundation has been pursuing various activities with the purpose of promoting and preserving the Taiko traditions. With growing recognition and movements in local communities to preserve and to promote their traditional cultural assets, Taiko has been attracting and expanding its population.

Taiko beat is considered to enhance good rhythm in everday living. It is also noted to be effective in training both body and mind. Taiko's strong emphasis on the importance of courtesy and team work is drawing attention to Taiko's role as an important educational instrument.

Taiko population ranges from pre-kindergartners to senior citizens. More recently, there has been increasing number of Taiko groups formed by women. Its is also important to note the birth of Taiko groups by people with disabilities. Such new developments are indicative of the popularity and wide acceptance of Taiko in Japan.

Taiko is also highly appreciated internationally. Taiko performances abroad have been acting as successful tools to introduce Japanese traditional culture as well as to convey the spirit of Japan.

The formation of large number of Taiko teams by foreighn nationals is the proof of world wide interests in Taiko.
Now, there are Taiko Associations in USA, Brazil and Taiwan.