Japanese Drumming has arrived in Portugal!

Experience the power and tradition of Japanese Taiko drumming with expert guidance from Sensei Kaori. Discover the unique energy and connection that comes from drumming in unison.

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About Tawoo Portugal

Our Dojo offers a unique space to unlock energy you may never have imagined existed within you. Taiko drumming, a traditional Japanese percussion style, features powerful drums played with dynamic movements and rhythmic patterns, blending music and physical performance to create an unforgettable experience for both players and audience.

The Taiko of the Tawoo group is something truly special and unique. While rooted in traditional Japanese style, we have developed our own approach, with special emphasis on groove — the rhythmic feeling that comes from the body. We deeply value the sound that emerges from our body, the beat that is born from our center, and the individual expression of each person. The rhythms have an infectious energy — when you hear them, you want to dance. Still, we keep alive the Japanese spiritual essence in every beat.

With the expert guidance of Sensei Kaori, you'll explore your full potential and elevate your practice. Let's be honest — there's nothing quite like the power and connection you feel when drumming in unison with other people.

Tawoo Tokyo

Tawoo was founded by Kaoly Asano in January 1997. Tawoo means "road" in Chinese. It was his desire to provide a place where people could meet, experiment and discover together the path of Taiko. It promotes a variety of activities with the aim of developing one's character, style, talent and energy.

"Generate the flow of energy from your own "tanden" (energy center), making it circulate throughout the body. Use the whole body, use breathing, to create a single sound. That sound becomes a unique sound, only yours. That's what it means to play taiko."

— Kaoly Asano

Performances

Tawoo is not only dedicated to training in the dojo — we also perform throughout Portugal.

We participate in various events, promoting and spreading the art of Japanese taiko.

People who practice and dedicate themselves to training in the dojo will have the opportunity in the future to participate in performance activities as well.

Taiko performance showing energy and expression

Drum with people of all ages and backgrounds

Beginner Class

In the beginner taiko class, we start with the correct way to hold the "bachi" (drumsticks), and carefully learn basic striking techniques, rhythmic patterns, and body movements in harmony with the music.

The Tawoo style is characterized by soft strikes that draw curved lines, and this is reflected even in how we hold the bachi. With attention to the center of the body (tanden), we play imagining ourselves as a great tree, using the whole body to generate sound from within.

As part of fundamental training, we practice four basic exercises with attention: ren-da (continuous striking), takata (rhythmic patterns), wide strikes with the whole body, and using the abdomen to feel and maintain rhythm.

Repertoire Class

One of the main characteristics of Tawoo songs is their ensemble format, usually composed of 3 to 4 parts. The songs are divided into about four types of rhythmic patterns, from simple beats to more complex rhythms. Beginners play the simpler rhythms, while intermediate-level practitioners take on more elaborate rhythms.

In repertoire classes, beginners learn to play their part while listening to the other voices of the group. Intermediate or advanced students train by leading and guiding the group, listening to the simpler parts and observing the whole ensemble.

We don't just work on rhythm and technique — we also explore the expression of the body, face, and voice. Throughout performances, we memorize the songs, develop the unique expression of each piece, and gain confidence to perform in public. And when we manage to make the audience smile and feel moved, the experience becomes increasingly rewarding.

At first, releasing your voice can be very difficult and even embarrassing. But the moment the voice truly comes from the abdomen, the sensation is liberating — as if something inside us is unlocked.

Intermediate

We start with a solid foundation: correct use of the body, feeling rhythm with the abdomen (tanden), and being able to memorize and sing the song alone — this is the starting point to deepen practice even further.

We work on bachi control, wrist movement, using the body as a whole, and mainly, we develop each person's unique sound — what kind of sound do we want to produce? What kind of expression do we want to convey?

Each practitioner is encouraged to deepen their own form of expression through the body.

This is the true path of intermediate and advanced levels. The journey of deepening oneself never ends.

(Attention: the intermediate class is only for those who already have previous experience with taiko. Beginners cannot participate in this class. Even professional musicians or percussionists from other areas should start with basic classes if they have no taiko experience, to learn the fundamentals correctly.)

Kaori Shiozawa

A Musical Journey from Japan to Portugal Born in Japan, Kaori Shiozawa is a talented musician with a solid education and vibrant passion. A graduate of the prestigious Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, with a specialization in flute, she found her greatest inspiration in Taiko, the traditional Japanese drum art, through the Tawoo group. Her professional career has taken her to international stages, touring as a flutist and percussionist with renowned groups including Gocoo and Yamato. In Brazil, she settled in São Paulo, where she taught in schools and dedicated herself to introducing Taiko to elementary school children at Colégio Harmonia for eight years. She founded several "Tawoo Brasil" dojos in major cultural centers of the Japanese community, such as the Bunka de Santo André, Aichikenjinkai in the Liberdade neighborhood, and Acrepa in São Bernardo do Campo. Now based in Portugal since 2022, Kaori continues to spread the energy of Taiko. She has already established two Tawoo Portugal dojos: one in Lisbon (Braço de Prata–Marvila) and another in Setúbal (Ginásio Clube de Corroios – Corroios). The demand for her teaching is growing, with requests to open new dojos in the districts of Porto, Coimbra, and Faro. Fluent in Portuguese and English, Kaori regularly organizes Taiko sessions, workshops, and performances throughout Portugal—from north to south—as well as in several other European countries, sharing her art and passion with an ever-growing audience.

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Kaori Shiozawa, Taiko Portugal founder and instructor

Get In Touch

Ready to experience the power of Taiko drumming? Contact us to book a class, schedule a workshop, or learn more about our group.

Lisbon Dojo

Address

Fábrica de Braço de Prata
R. Fábrica de Material de Guerra 1, 1950-128 Lisboa

Classes

Sunday
11:00 - Beginners
12:30 - Taiko Songs

Monday
17:30 - Intermediates

Corroios Dojo