Miyamoto Unosuke Presents “The Curve” Series: Products that Repurpose the Body of a Taiko Drum

Since its founding in 1861, Miyamoto Unosuke has been manufacturing portable shrines, taiko drums and other products used in Japanese festivals. After participating in the Edo Tokyo Kirari Project, the company has conducted a variety of activities, such as the “Echo-logical Taiko Project” – an initiative that involves producing and selling taiko drums using thinned wood – which was launched in March 2022, and the “Hajimari no Mori” event, which allows visitors to experience the sound of those drums.

Miyamoto Unosuke has recently announced their new “The Curve” series of products, which is part of their “Echo-logical Taiko Project”. The company has begun manufacturing a wide range of products that utilize the bodies of taiko drums that do not meet manufacturing standards (also known as “unnecessary bodies”*) – a matter which has been seen as an issue up until recently.

As a project that seeks to join forces with creators and those with an interest in the issue while working toward the creation of products, The Curve created its first product in January of this year: the “Re-Taiko Stool” – a stool that was made in collaboration with the French product designer Pierre Charrié.

The methods utilized by Miyamoto Unosuke in the manufacture of these repurposed products – such as “kannakake”, a technique used in finishing taiko drums, as well as “choukin” (metal engraving) and “urushi-nuri” (lacquering) – are traditional techniques that have been passed down through generations within the company, preserving its 160-odd years of history. We hope you look forward to what kinds of products the trinity of wood sustainability, craftsmanship, and a wide range of ideas will bring in the future.

*Some taiko bodies that use hollowed-out wood may crack or warp during the drying process, and cannot be manufactured as products. Additionally, this term includes bodies that cannot be used with taiko drums due to having irreparable tree knots or that have been eaten away at by insects.

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Echo-logical Taiko The Curve Official Web Site
https://www.miyamoto-unosuke.co.jp/moritsuku/the_curve/

The Curve Concept Movie
https://youtu.be/021caJpWgXw

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Photo：©Michiharu Baba