SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Taiko Dojo, which was founded in 1968 and has been based at the same location for more than 25 years, is being forced to move and has launched an online fundraising campaign.
More than $27,000 has been raised toward the goal of $60,000.
The message on GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-taiko-dojo) reads as follows:
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San Francisco Taiko Dojo was notified by new owners of their practice and storage facility that their monthly rent would more than double to meet the market rate, which effectively evicts the organization from the current space that San Francisco Taiko Dojo has occupied for over 25 years.
The History
San Francisco Taiko Dojo was founded in 1968 by Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka, who is considered the father of modern taiko in North America. San Francisco Taiko Dojo is the first taiko group to be established in the United States and has had more than 15,000 men, women and children of all walks of life study under the instruction of Tanaka Sensei, many of whom have gone on to begin over 250 other taiko groups throughout the United States and Canada.
Grandmaster Seiichi Tanaka has been recognized as a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment of the Arts and was presented the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, by the Emperor of Japan, in addition to many other awards and accolades over his 50-plus years dedicated to promoting taiko.
The Potential Destruction
Evicting San Francisco Taiko Dojo from its current space would mean the organization would have to cease operations immediately until a new practice and storage facility is procured. Like many performing arts organizations, the pandemic has already adversely impacted it, losing class income and closing the Taiko Dojo showroom in San Francisco’s Japantown in 2020.
Losing their current space could spell the end of a vital performing and cultural arts institution that has played a foundational role in giving birth to the modern taiko movement and been an anchor in the Bay Area cultural arts scene.
Thank you for supporting San Francisco Taiko Dojo, and we look forward to finding a new home so we can continue spreading the power, energy and love of taiko.