Kodo – «O-Daiko» – (japanese drummers – Taiko – tambours géants Japon)

Ōdaiko: One of the most memorable drums of many taiko ensembles is the ōdaiko (大太鼓). For many, the ōdaiko solo is the embodiment of power due to the size of the drum, the volume, and the endurance it takes to perform. The ōdaiko is the largest drum of all taiko, if not the entire world. The largest ōdaiko are too big to move and permanently reside inside a temple or shrine. Ōdaiko means «big taiko», but within any group, it describes the largest drum in an ensemble, which could mean 12 inches (300 mm) in diameter or 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter. Made from a single piece of wood, some ōdaiko come from trees that are hundreds of years old.

The exact origin of the taiko drum is unclear, though there have been many suggestions. While some have suggested that ancient peoples of Japan used such drums during the Jōmon period, there is archaeological evidence that taiko drums were used in Japan during the Kofun period, possibly for communicative or ritualistic purposes. This evidence was substantiated by the discovery of haniwa statues in the Sawa District of Gunma Prefecture, which depict two figures, each holding a two-headed drum with one stick.The statues show one player beating one head of the drum with the stick, and the other using their hand to beat the other head. These statues are considered to be oldest evidence of taiko performance in Japan.However, because of the physical similarity the drum has to other instruments on the Asian continent, some have speculated that the taiko’s precursor may have existed in India or Korea sometime between 400–600 CE.
Another possibility is that taiko came directly from China based on its ancient theater traditions. In a particular theatrical form called gigaku, dancers would be accompanied by several instruments that included similar drums.