Etsuo Hongo Sensei

Etsuo Hongo was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1949. He began playing taiko in high school after watching his older brother, Tadayoshi, play in festivals and on the yagura.

He left Japan at the age of 24 to seek opportunities in the United States. He lived in Little Tokyo for a while before moving on to South America, where he spent a few years traveling throughout the country.

He returned to Los Angeles and in 1978 his dream of playing taiko began at Nishi Hongwanji Temple in Little Tokyo. With his friend, Hisanori Kato, they made a couple of handmade drums and established the Los Angeles Matsuri Taiko Aiko-kai, which evolved into L.A. Matsuri Taiko.

Hongo-sensei married and started a family in North Hollywood where he established the San Fernando Valley Mugen Taiko, comprised mostly of youth. Hongo-sensei formed other taiko groups throughout Southern California including Venice Koshin Taiko and El Marino Rainbow Taiko. In 2007, Hongo Sensei made the decision to move to South America to spread the art of taiko. He has taught in Brazil and also established the first taiko group in Chile, Chile Mugen Taiko.