Kyoto Tachibana

[Dudester]

I know it's hard to get worked up over a high school marching band, but hear me out. One of the things that make Kyoto Tachibana unique is that they just don't march, they hop, skip, jump and dance, all while staying in step and in tune. Excellence is a trademark of this band as they rehearse seven days a week and on school days, they are at school from 7 AM to 7 PM. This excellence pays off as the band often wins the national championship, but there is more.

In October 2022, Japan had just inked an alliance treaty with Taiwan, so, Kyoto Tachibana was sent to perform for the heads of the Taiwan government. The people of Taiwan fell in love with the band and held a huge fundraiser. The money was used to have the band return to the island in December 2023. The band had 13 performances in 5 days. The band stayed in Taiwan's 5 star hotel and had their meals in the hotel's ballroom. But wait, there is more.

This coming New Year's Day, Kyoto Tachibana will march in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. This will be the band's fourth trip to the US. Like the other trips, they will perform in the Pasadena bandfest and will have performances in Disneyland. The band is most famous for their performance of Glenn Miller's "Sing Sing Sing", which has been a mainstay of the band's setlist for nearly twenty years.   

[Hilda]

I know it's hard to get worked up over a high school marching band, but hear me out. One of the things that make Kyoto Tachibana unique is that they just don't march, they hop, skip, jump and dance, all while staying in step and in tune. Excellence is a trademark of this band as they rehearse seven days a week and on school days, they are at school from 7 AM to 7 PM. This excellence pays off as the band often wins the national championship, but there is more.

I had no idea that hop, skip, jump and dance marching bands were a thing in Japan. How did you come across the Kyoto Tachibana band?

[Dudester]

Kyoto Tachibana just suddenly showed up in my algorithm, possibly because I had been researching DCI (Drum Corps International-the successor to US Drum Corps-sponsored by the VFW). An older sister had been in US Drum Corps and there is a senior version of DCI and I had briefly been in one of the senior units. DCI is for college age students. 

[Pornhubby]

What does Kyoto Tachibana have to do with DCI?

A friend’s son is in the DCI Boston Crusaders. My son was a Drumline captain in high school and we went to DCI competitions for a number of years.

[Hilda]

I wandered over to the Tachibana High School Wikipedia entry, then to the school's website.

I learned that the school was originally for girls, and went co-educational in 2000. That would, perhaps, explain the small number of boys in the band. The school also excels in soccer and other sports, so I guess most of the boys drift off in that direction.

[Dudester]

And now, a song written by people of Taiwan, expressing their love for Kyoto Tachibana. Turn on CC for English subtitles.

[Dudester]

On the Sunday closest to Halloween, Kyoto Tachibana will perform in a parade in Beppu Japan (Beppu is approximately 400 miles from Kyoto). Beppu is known for it's hot springs and their therapeutic affect. Since the band already wears uniforms, notice the ostentatious head gear in accordance with Halloween. Halloween wasn't originally celebrated in Japan, but in the past 24 years it has blossomed into a months long celebration. The closest Japanese equivalent is Obon, which is celebrated in mid August. Obon, it is said, is when ancestors return from the dead to visit their living relatives. During the second Karate Kid movie there was a recreation of a Obon festival.

[Writers Bloque]

Bappu was a destination for the group of survivors in the anime Zom100: Bucket list of the dead. Japan takes their band and cheer very seriously. As to even excuse some members from school for specific reasons.

[Raceway]

Bappu was a destination for the group of survivors in the anime Zom100: Bucket list of the dead. Japan takes their band and cheer very seriously. As to even excuse some members from school for specific reasons.

I didn't recognize Beppu from the video posted by Dudester. Everything looked so sunny, and so spacious, and so modern. I visited the place over forty years ago, on a fact-finding/public-relations tour organized by the governor of Oita Prefecture.

Here's a photo I took from my hotel window. The puffs of white are steam venting from hot springs.



My guess is that the long, straight road down which the Kyoto Tachibana band are marching is part of a new urban development. I shall refrain from a comment about time marching on.

[Dudester]

This week, Kyoto Tachibana found themselves in Izumo Japan, it is about 260 miles from Kyoto. They were there for the Izumo Taisha Kamiara Festival. The Izumo Taishi Shrine is considered one of the most important shrines in the Shinto religion. The festival is held on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month of the year.
 
The band has a new song (4:38) where they sing and dance at the same time. Man oh man, their arrival in California in 8 weeks is going to be so great.