Founded nearly 30 years ago in Nara Prefecture, said to be the birthplace of Japanese culture and civilization, Yamato travels the world with traditional taiko drums called “waidako” made from animal skins and ancient trees, some as old as 400 years. The highly trained drummers use pulsating rhythm, captivating physicality, and theatrical showmanship to bring an intangible but compelling force to the stage in a high-energy performance mixing ancient traditions with contemporary sensibilities.