Biography
“Taiko is your path, it’s your way.”
PJ Hirabayashi
PJ Hirabayashi is the Artistic Director Emeritus, former Artistic Director, and original member of San Jose Taiko (SJT), a world-class performing ensemble of taiko drummers. She is a pioneer of North American taiko, recognized in the international taiko community for her distinctive performance and teaching style that combines movement, dance, drumming, fluidity, joy, and energy.
EARLY YEARS
PJ was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area where she studied tap, ballet, acrobatics, dance roller skating, piano, guitar, and martial arts. Being a student activist in Asian American Studies, volunteering in Japanese American community services, and having lived in Japan after graduating from UC Berkeley, she found her passion to integrate her western performing arts background with a Japanese American aesthetics through taiko.
EDUCATION & ASIAN AMERICAN INFLUENCES
PJ obtained her Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from San Jose State University (SJSU) in 1977 and wrote her thesis on San Jose Japantown, a historical and visionary survey of the survival and thriving of an ethnic community. Her thesis has become a widely used reference for research and for community action groups dialoguing and implementing plans for the preservation and revitalization of San Jose Japantown, one of only three Japan Towns remaining in the United States.
In 1977-79, she was Acting Coordinator for the Asian American Studies Program at SJSU and an instructor for "Asian American Communities" classes and supervisor for students gaining fieldwork experience in Asian American social service organizations.
SAN JOSE TAIKO
Performing Arts Ensemble, San Jose, CA
PJ was instrumental in establishing SJT's unique style and holistic philosophy, which has been emulated and modeled by taiko players and organizations around the world. She performed nearly 40 years with San Jose Taiko and during that time she created and led many programs still going strong today including the Audition Process (training program for performing members), Public Workshops, Taiko Intensives, School Shows, and Residencies.
PJ designed beautiful, functional, and iconic costumes for the performing company which characterized the spirit and personality of the group and its ties to Japanese culture.
Her many compositions for San Jose Taiko were inspired by her rich life experiences. She is most well known for “Ei Ja Nai Ka” (Isn’t It Good), a celebration of Japanese American immigrant life which combines taiko drum rhythms, dance, song, and chanting that welcome anyone to get up, dance, and participate.
TAIKO FOR PEACE & COMMUNITY BUILDING
PJ's current project is TaikoPeace, her vision for embracing Karen Armstrong's Charter for Compassion and making it actionable in the taiko drumming community. As a certified Peace Ambassador for The Shift Network, PJ seeks to inspire personal, social, and global change through the music and art of taiko drumming.
+ Affiliations
Founder, TaikoPeace
Emeritus Artistic Director, San Jose Taiko
President, KASA, KODO Arts Sphere America
Senior Fellow, American Leadership Forum , Faith Leaders Affinity Group
Co-Founder, Creatives for Compassionate Communities
Co-Hort, Wosite Wisdom Circle
Creative Mentor, Certified Soul Stream practitioner, Life Blessings Institute
Senior Fellow American Leadership Forum (ALF), Faith Leaders Affinity Group, Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus
Student, Alexander Technique with Tully Hall
+ Advisor
Taiko Community Alliance, Advisory Council, 2020-present
Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Taproot Initiative Advisory Council, 2021
SVcreates, Arts Web Executive Coach, 2020
+ Awards
Legacy Award for Women’s History Month, presented by California Assembly member Ash Kalra, 2022
Hewlett Foundation, TaikoPeace grantee, 2022
Womanhood Project, custom artwork created by Tamiko Rast, celebrating historic contributions of women in Santa Clara County, 2022
Center for Cultural Innovation/Zoo Labs, TaikoPeace grantee, 2021
Bunka Hall of Fame, Hokka Nichi Bei Kai, Japanese American Association of Northern California, 2016
Community Trailblazer Award, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, September 2016
Cornerstone of the Arts, San Jose Arts Commission and Office of Cultural Affairs, 2016
Japanese American of the Biennium Award, National Japanese American Citizens League, 2014
U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Fellowship, 2014
Legacy Laureate, Silicon Valley Creates (formerly Arts Council Silicon Valley), 2014
Asian Pacific American Heritage Local Hero, KQED, 2013
Certificate of Commendation for Community Service, Japanese Consul General, September 2012
San Jose Nihonmachi Outreach Committee Appreciation Award, February 2012
Community Recognition Award, San Jose Japanese American Citizens League, 2011
Masters of Traditional Arts: Roy & PJ Hirabayashi, 2011
Heritage Fellowship Award: Roy and PJ Hirabayashi, National Endowment for the Arts, 2011
+ Interviews, Articles
January 2021, A Network for Grateful Living, “Grateful Changemakers: TaikoPeace”
August 2020, Urban Sanctuary San Jose, “Interview with PJ Hirabayashi”
July 2020, YO! Media, “Isn't It Good?: How An Obon Dance Was Created for Community”
July 2020, JANM Digital Film Festival, “Big Drum: Taiko in the USA Q&A”
2020, 21st Century Drummer Magazine, “PJ Hirabayashi: Pioneer of the North American Taiko Movement”
2020, HERbeat, Taiko Women ALL-STARS 2019, kaDon, “Meet PJ Hirabayashi”
2016-2018, “Story Walks: History, Place, and Identity on the Move in San Jose Japantown”, Community-Partner on “Walking and Sensory Methodologies” with Dr. Kimberly Powell (Associate Professor of Education, Art Education, and Asian Studies at Pennsylvania State University)
2017, Library of Congress, “Conversation with Roy & PJ Hirabayashi of San Jose Taiko”
2016, Content Magazine December issue
2016, Cornerstone of the Arts Award: Roy and PJ Hirabayashi
2015, Big Ideas Fest, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education: PJ Hirabayashi-Learning From Embodied Intelligence and Authentic Power
Discover Nikkei: PJ Hirabayashi
Densho: PJ Hirabayashi, “Growing Up”
+ Collaborations
PJ’s has collaborated with many inspiring artists, musicians, dancers, directors, writers, and actors.
IKKAI Means Once: A Transplanted Pilgrimage, Collaboration with Yayoi Kambara
" Meet PJ ", produced by kaDON, 2019
kaDON, Ei Ja Nai Ka and Tottemo Yoi instructional video collaboration, 2019
Island City Waterways Project, Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2018, 2022
“Story Walks: History, Place, and Identity on the Move in San Jose Japantown”, Community-Partner on “Walking and Sensory Methodologies”, 2016-2018 | Walking and Talking , Penn State | Walking Lab, Sound Walking With PJ Hirabayashi | Penn State Collaboration Examines Communities Through Walking
Valley of the Heart play directed by Luis Valdez, original compositions and arrangements with Roy Hirabayashi
TaikoPeace and OnenessButoh collaboration with Judith Kajiwara, Director
Triangle Project: Journey of the Dandelion with Nobuko Miyamoto of Great Leap and Yoko Fujimoto of Hanayui and Kodo
HIMAWARI Project with Hanayui of Sado Island, Japan
Kabuki Cabaret with Brenda Wong Aoki and Mark Izu
Bet Lahem Live, Taiko Journey and Holy Land Trust collaboration, Palestine, 2014
"Requiem for 9/11”, Composer/Producer Rosemary DeSiervi's 10th Anniversary of 9/11
+ Speaking Engagements
2022, “Ei Ja Nai Ka and Telling our Stories through Movement” workshop, Stanford Student Initiated Taiko Course, Braun Music Center, Stanford University
2022, “The Nature Talks”: Reconnecting People and Planet. The Web of Life. “Kototama of Time, Space: Indigenous Wisdom of Ancient Japan", Wosite Wisdom Circle
2021, “Beyond the Drum”, Taiko Community Alliance inaugural virtual conference, Keynote Speaker
2021, “Story Circle of the Japanese Diaspora”; Recognizing our Resilience-Past and Present. TaikoPeace session
2020, “Re-Imagining a New World: Building Practices of Awareness, Activism, and Anti-Racism”, TaikoPeace Forum
2020, “Bright Word Mandalas” virtual mini-retreat workshop, Creatives for Compassionate Communities
2019, Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational, plenary panel, Stanford University, PJ and Roy Hirabayashi
November 2019, Women and Taiko Webinar: WISDOM with PJ Hirabayashi and Tiffany Tamaribuchi 2019, North American Taiko Conference Community Forum, Roy and PJ Hirabayashi speakers, Portland, Oregon
2017, East Cost Taiko Conference, plenary speaker, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
2017, “Ei Ja Nai Ka: A Circle Dance of Healing & Oneness”, 33rd Annual International Conference for Indigenous and Ancestral Wisdom, Healing, and Transformation, San Rafael, CA
2016, “TaikoPeace: Tapping into Embodied Knowledge and Authentic Power through the Japanese Drum”, College of Arts & Architecture’s Arts and Design Research Incubator (ADRI), Pennsylvania State University
2015, “Full Circle-Ei Ja Nai Ka”, Japanese American Women’s Alumni Association UC Berkeley, at Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA
2015, “ TaikoPeace: Learning from Embodied Intelligence & Authentic Power ”, Big Ideas Fest 2015, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), San Jose, CA
October 17, 2014, “Full Circle”, Artist Forum, International House of Japan October 21, 2014, “Full Circle”, presentation to Byakko Shinko Kai staff, Fuji Sanctuary , Fujinomiya
November 2, 2014, “Music to Change. Music to Connect”, Museum of Ethnology Panel: Sayo Ogasawara (Ainu Cultural Center), Koh Jeonja (Korean performing arts scholar)
November 16, 2014, “San Jose Taiko and Ei Ja Nai Ka”, presentation to Shumei Taiko , Tokyo
November 20, 2014, “Art Activism Then and Now”, panel with Nobuko Miyamoto (Great Leap), Yoko Fujimoto (Kodo), Kyoji Ota (proxy-Senior Curator of the Human Rights Museum), Jin Tae-il (Founder of “Madan”, Korean Festival, Kyoto), Roy Hirabayashi (San Jose Taiko), PJ Hirabayashi (TaikoPeace)
2012, ”Using the Cultures of the Valley to Strengthen and Sustain Us", DeAnza College, Cupertino, CA
2011, ”Social Change and Taiko", North American Taiko Conference, Stanford University, CA
2011, ”An Artist's Journey: TaikoPeace", Aldersgate Methodist Church, Los Altos, CA
2010, ”Taiko Reverberations: Healing, Community Building, Cultural and Social Activism", University of Toronto, Canada
2009, ”San Jose Taiko and Social Justice", Theatre Mu Performing Arts , Minneapolis, MN
2007, ”Women and Taiko", North American Taiko Conference, University of Washington, WA
+ Performances
PJ has participated in notable collaborations
with San Jose Taiko performing ensemble:
George Coates Performance Works
American Conservatory Theater
Asian American Jazz Orchestra
San Jose Repertory Theater
Brenda Wong Aoki
and
Mark Izu
Zakir Hussain
Kodo
Ondekoza
Abhinaya Dance Company
of San Jose
As a solo guest artist, PJ has performed with
a wide diversity of artists in multiple genres:
HERbeat: Taiko Women All Stars
, featured artist
Hiroshima
David Benoit
San Jose Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
Ondekoza
Margaret Wingrove Dance Company
Theatre Yugen
“She Appears! Encounters with Kwan Yin, Goddess of Compassion” book launch, taiko performance as Kwan Yin, Piedmont, CA
+ Recordings
2008
“3 Decades” San Jose Taiko (DVD)
2005
“Rhythm Journey” San Jose Taiko
The Triangle Project, “Journey of the Dandelion” Bindu Records
1998
Asian American Jazz Orchestra, “Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire” Asian Improv.
Mark Izu, “Last Dance” Asian Improv.
1996
San Jose Taiko, “Moichi Do – One More Time” San Jose Taiko and Sokai Audio
1993
San Jose Taiko, “Kodama, Echoes of the Soul” San Jose Taiko
1991
San Jose Taiko, “Insight Through Sound” Sokai Audio
1988
San Jose Taiko, “15th Anniversary Concert” Sokai Audio
1978
San Jose Taiko Group, Bamboo Brew Productions
