The Saiwai Shimoina Wadaiko Festival is an annual international performing arts festival presented by Nagano Prefecture, Japan-based Wadaiko Ensemble TOKARA. This Taiko Festival takes place in the southern city of Iida, and is on track to becoming the largest taiko festival in Nagano Prefecture. Through this festival, we seek to enrich the global atmosphere through our own music and to enrich our own atmosphere by bringing cultural collaborations with performance artists from around the world.

   This year, 2008, we are happy to be able to present our third Saiwai Shimoina Taiko Festival. This year promises to be the best so far, as it will be the first time that we will have the morning and afternoon festival with fringe performances by visiting and local groups and workshops by our guest performers. The evening will begin with the Super Show, featuring the two professional taiko groups and our special guests from the U.S., Ragamala Music and Dance Theater. The Super Show will feature the Japan debut of the 20 minute version of SVA (Vital Force), the critically acclaimed joint piece by Wadaiko Ensemble TOKARA and Ragamala Dance and Music Theater.