Database: Tsuzumi

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The tsuzumi is an hourglass-shaped drum with two membranes stretched over either end. Tsuzumi tend to be smaller than the taiko type of drum. When playing small drums, like the kotsuzumi, the performer would typically rest the drum on their right shoulder and strike the surface with the fingers of their right-hand. There are larger versions of the tsuzumi, commonly known as ōtsuzumi, that are usually placed on the left hip of the player.

This type of drum was introduced from the Asian continent to Japan in antiquity. Similar instruments can be found in China, Korea, and even India. Before it was popularized in the Middle Ages, the tsuzumi was played in the ancient Imperial Court and was mostly an instrument of the elite. It was first introduced to the general population through Noh theater, then later via kabuki theater during the Edo period.

In the Middle Ages and pre-modern times, villages often performed dances to mark villages often performed dances to mark major agricultural events, such as rice transplanting or harvesting. The purpose was to thank local deities for a good upcoming harvest. These dances were often accompanied by the rousing beats of the tsuzumi.