Taiko Drummers from Tokyo - Running, Drumming and Dancing on the Earth

T agayasu Den created the Za Ondekosa group in 1969 on the Isle of Sado, renowned for its drums and percussion. The group is now housed at Mount Fuji in Shizuoka , where its members are committed to a discipline that emerged spontaneously from the group. They are now known across the world as Fuji No Yama Ondekoza.

The group made its debut by giving a concert immediately after taking part in the Boston Marathon in 1975.

The following year they joined up with the Boston Symphony Orchestra directed by Seiji Osawa, and this collaboration gave them international recognition.

The Za Ondekoza performance is based on the principle of Sagokuron. Their belief is that running and music are one; they are both a reflection on the drama and energy of life.

The tour that began in 1990 at the Carnegie Hall in New York was an apt illustration of this principle. By the time they gave an anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall on 12 November 1993 , they had given 355 concerts over a period of 71 days during which time they had run a total of 14910km.

A new tour that began at the Paralympics in Nagano in 1998 will end at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, after 12500km.

Za Ondekosa undertook their first marathon in Japan as a tribute to their founder, Tagayasu Den, who died in 2001. The group ran the 600km from Sado to Mount Fuji and gave three concerts during this marathon in 2002.

In 2004 Za Ondekosa returned to Boston , the city of their debut, and gave a performance after running 42.195km.