Taiko Block Party – Little Tokyo

Taiko Block Party and NATC

For decades, our community has relied on large centralized conferences to keep us connected. We all owe an immense debt of gratitude to the pioneers, visionaries and volunteers who have poured their hearts, time, and energy into building those spaces. But the reality of organizing in a post-pandemic world is that the traditional conference model has become incredibly heavy to carry.

As our community landscapes shift, we find ourselves at a crossroads of how we gather. The Taiko Block Party was born out of a desire to create a sustainable, flexible bridge for this exact moment. By partnering closely with the Taiko Community Alliance (TCA), our goal is to provide a space that keeps the pulse of our community alive, while giving our vital non-profit institutions the room they need to breathe, adapt, and look toward their own future.

The Taiko Block Party is designed to be a nimble, grassroots home for that spirit—a place where we can return to our roots in Little Tokyo to strengthen and grow our community. It is a space to ensure that our tradition of learning from, growing with, and being inspired by one another remains unbroken, no matter how the structures around us evolve.

Details at a Glance

• Dates: Saturday, September 5th & Sunday, September 6th 2026
• Programming: Community Showcase, Featured Concert, Skill Lab, Circle Competitions, Event-wide Taiko games & trivia, Gomi Taiko Club, Little Tokyo Historical Society Walking Tours, Marketplace Vendors, and MORE!
• Entry Pass: $255 Partner Discount / $295 General Admission
• Location: Terasaki Budokan, 249 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• Informational Video here!
• Travel FAQ here!
• Click here for the program & schedule!

Register Now!

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Join us over Labor Day weekend for a festival full of connection, skill-building, and fun in the heart of Little Tokyo!

About the Festival

Join us for a celebration of the Taiko Community at Taiko Block Party featuring diverse performances and experiences designed to connect the community, promote creativity and skills, and remind us why we all love taiko so much.

Watch the community showcase, test your knowledge in taiko trivia, push your limits at our circle competitions, find tips at the skills lab, explore the rich cultural history of the neighborhood with Little Tokyo Historical Society, and more!

This interactive festival consists of multiple events happening simultaneously, and you can join or leave events as you’d like. Your schedule is yours to decide. If there’s a performance going on that you want to watch, go watch it! Everyone’s weekend will be unique and you can choose which events you want to be a part of. 

Traveling to Little Tokyo for Taiko Block Party? Check out our travel FAQ: click here!

Register Now!

Community Showcase

Plus Featured performances from:

• kaDON
• Makoto Taiko
• TAIKOPROJECT
• Inochi Taiko
• Yamane Taiko
• Kenny Endo
• MikAnS
• Tadaima
• Matoi no Kai LA
• Naruwan Taiko

Compete with your peers in Circle Competitions!

Work on your Skills!

Take Pre-Block Party Intensives

Taiko Talks

A Post-Collegiate Taiko Processing Space

Facilitated by Michelle Fujii

Leaving your collegiate taiko group means losing more than just access to drums—it means navigating the sudden loss of a built-in community, a shared identity, and a structured creative home. Graduating and leaving that community can create a profound, quiet void. This one-hour, interactive workshop is a dedicated processing space for post-collegiate taiko players, with a peer-centered conversation focused on the emotional and practical realities of this transition.

Happening at the LA Koyasan Buddhist Temple at 4PM on Saturday, 9/5

After the Performance: What Happens to Us?

Facilitated by Michelle Fujii & Karen Young

Performances, competitions, tours, and major group experiences can leave us carrying adrenaline, exhaustion, pride, disappointment, praise, criticism, or moments we can’t stop replaying. This reflective workshop creates space to process the emotional aftermath of intense experiences. Through guided reflection and conversation, we’ll explore what we’re carrying, the stories we tell ourselves about what happened, how feedback affects us, and what we need to rest, recover, celebrate, repair, or move forward.

Happening at the LA Koyasan Buddhist Temple at 4PM on Sunday, 9/6

Engage with the Local Community!