In the Takanosu area in Kitaakita, there is a very special museum. The Odaiko-no-yakata, or the Great Drum Hall. As its name implies, it is exactly that – a great, big hall, filled with great, big drums.
The museum houses a collection of colossal drums, the largest being 3.8 meters across, 4.52 meters long, and weighing in at 3.5 tons. The runner-up is 3.71 meters, followed by 3.44 meters in third place, and 3.33 meters in fourth place. But it doesn’t end there. The hall houses more extremely large drums, some of which visitors can try playing if the mood strikes them. So, if you’re not too bashful about every single person in the building hearing your drumming skills, I highly recommend giving the drums a whack.
But why is there a hall full of some of the largest drums in the world, in a small area of Kitaakita City? The story goes back over 750 years, to when the original village of Tsuzureko was founded in 1262. Since the founding of the village, irrigation in the area has been rather poor, resulting in a festival to pray for rain. And what better way to communicate with the gods about the weather, than to imitate the sound of thunder?
Thus, the Tsuzureko Odaiko Festival, a festival focusing on taiko (Japanese drums) was born. The two hamlets of Tsuzureko competed fiercely at the festival, eventually leading to injury and even death amongst the participants. It was eventually agreed, that the hamlets would take turns hosting the festival in order to prevent further injuries. However, this did not stop the rivalry between the hamlets. Instead, they started competing over who could produce the largest drum for the festival, eventually leading to the town being home to some of the largest drums in the world, and definitely the largest in Japan.
Returning to the museum itself, its claim-to-fame is the 3.71-meter diameter drum, which was made in 1982 and took the Guinness World Record as the largest drum in the world. Although this is the museum’s main boasting point, one cannot help but be a little perplexed when looking at the drum right next to it, which is indeed slightly larger. When it was made in 1992, it was decided not to challenge the world record of its sister drum, which is why the title didn’t change hands. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that there are now drums larger than those in the Great Taiko Hall. In Korea, there is a drum measuring 5.54 meters across and weighing around 7 tons, and in China there is a bronze drum measuring 6.68 meters across. So, the drums in the Great Taiko Hall are not really the biggest in the world anymore, although they are the largest of their type.
Be that as it may, it takes nothing away from the absolutely insane size of the drums, which needs to be seen up close. For museum visitors, a short documentary about the festival, typically held around July 14-15, provides additional insight. Beyond the Japanese drums, the museum also features a diverse collection of drums from around the world, some of which visitors can try playing.
Getting to the museum can, unfortunately, be a bit of a hassle. As with many other things in Akita, having a car is a clear advantage, but if this is not an option for you, there is also public transportation. Simply take a train to Nukazawa station, or alternatively Takanosu station, and walk for 10-15 minutes to get there. Although Nukazawa station is smaller and less serviced than Takanosu station, it is worth stopping at, since the station building is made to look like a giant taiko drum.
As a final note, I will be honest and say that for most people, the Odaiko-no-yakata is best visited as an “along the way” sort of attraction while moving between Aomori and Akita via local train, or if spending time in Kitaakita. By public transport, it is around two hours from Aomori City, at least two and a half hours from Akita City, and the museum itself can be fully enjoyed in less than 45 minutes. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, if you like drums, or if you really like astoundingly big things.
Address: 62-1 Ozutsumimichishita, Tsuzureko, Kitaakita-city