Fan Corner

This page is dedicated to discussion on activities related to Tachibana, O-VILS., Pink Devils, Donguriband, and other Japanese Brass Bands, as well as additional topics covered in this blog.

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50,285 thoughts on “Fan Corner”

    • Hi Darren T.- Hai, there’s another video of the same 2017 event in Events. I think this is the Rohm Festival(?). I think your video is from a different angle. arigatou.

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        • Could also explain why in many of the videos featuring percussion section they never let the xylo/glock mallets make contact. Drumsticks are a lot tougher and designed to take that kind of beating.

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          • I am not sure what you mean by not letting the xylo/glock mallets make contact, if they did not make contact then there would be no sound. I used to play one handed glock 50 years ago and the sticks are called “beaters”, black ones are hard and white ones are soft, P chan always uses the black ones to make a louder sound 🙂 When the percussion team move round you can see them swap them over in this video.

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            • “To-may-toe, to-mah-toe” … I’ve never heard them called “beaters” since ever.

              https://www.steveweissmusic.com/category/xylophone-mallets

              These were never meant to be whacked against each other. The footage of KT percussion section when encouraging the audience to clap is usually simulated with the mallets, so it’s entirely possible that Chippi thought she had proper drumsticks in her hands and let them make contact.

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            • I believe what is being referred to is when they fake clicking the xylo/bell mallets together. If the shafts are rattan or wood they can eventually break if you beat them together.

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    • There is also a video of the rehearsal for this festival. The stick broke due to the chipp violent attack (I thought I would do it someday). Fortunately, he never changed his playing style.

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      • On the contrary, many of the videos are recent finds, or re-uploads of hidden or taken-down videos. Besides, the comments section here is not conducive to content sharing as comments with videos in them from past discussions will be buried several pages down meaning many new people might not see them. The Fan Corner already has over 14k comments alone. That’s an absurd amount of comments to go trawling through to find if someone else had already posted up that video previously.

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        • On the contrary, because old VERY familiar videos and comments re-uploading, other new and meaningful comments & updates can be hidden and scrolled up fast… that’s what I’m regret and worry. This blog should be helpful for newbie but as well still a good place for old fan who have been shared information and been active here so far.
          Again, what I wanted to tell here was, at least those of old very well made video by very well known uploader among us can’t be a new here as long as it isn’t a uploading video with limited time for special reason from time to time.
          Frankly speaking I don’t want to waste time to find other meaningful comments and information among old repeatedly being uploaded videos.

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  3. No new videos can be expected for the time being.
    So it’s not KT, but these are the videos of next year’s Rose Parade band “St. Ursula Eichi HS”.
    Both performed from classical music to pop music at last year’s concert. Although the style is different from KT, it is a fun performance.

    (https://youtu.be/RrXyJocFdpU)

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    • ODF- I think these cancellations are just a tip of the iceberg for this year.. It would not surprise me, if the entire year 2020 is canceled. It is sad, but this virus is nothing to play with. In the US, there have been about 2000 deaths,(New York City), and double that many have tested positive for the virus. I am now having to use a disinfectant on door knobs, computer keys, everything inside of the car, etc. KT be safe, Thank goodness for videos. With almost everyone home on furlough, think of all those KT, Izusho, St. Ursula, Toin, Kabuki, or even the “Kyoto’s Jidai Matsure Parade”, we can watch on video, and get fat. Something to think about. Agatte Rita

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      • I have posted this before, but for those that missed it here is my shopping procedure.
        Washing machine door open and powder loaded, towel ready outside the shower.
        At the supermarket put on disposable gloves, sanitize trolley handles and do the shopping.
        Put the shopping down by the car, remove gloves and bin them, sanitize bag handles and load into car.
        My car has keyless entery and ignition, so I don’t do things such as unlock car, put keys in ignition, sanitize hands, drive home and then take the keys out !
        Once home I unload the car and empty the bags outside, spray everything with mentholated spirit including shoe laces ( isopropyl alcohol is out of stock everywhere ), wife opens the door, wash hands and bring the shopping inside, take of clothes and put into washing machine, wife closes door and presses start, take shower.
        Once dressed I return to the car and spray drivers seat and center console.
        If it gets worse then I will take it up a level with face mask, shield, and wear disposable waterproofs with hood.
        You have to keep the virus out of the house, once inside you cannot avoid touching something with it on 😦

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        • Johndoe:… You are probably safe in doing what you are doing. This should be the critical week of the virus. San Francisco had only 8 deaths, because the authorities started the “stay-at-home” policy early. The news also showed the sick who beat the virus and left the hospital free from virus. arigatou

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        • DET-san, Johndoe-san, I think a few here might want to adopt the Japanese (and perhaps a lot of other Asian cultures) practice of “no shoes in the house”. I’ve adopted this to an extent – outside shoes vs slippers/socks for in home.

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            • Great idea.
              Now I’ve got some time on my hands, might just look at some DIY project to make a shoe rack with a small stool for shoe changes.

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            • Johndoe-san… Konnichiwa; Hai; Tadaima, the outdoor shoes stay outside, and indoor shoes go on the feet. This has been a practice forever in Japan. I think it makes good sense, unless the floors have too much wax, then one could slide from front door to the back door, and clean the floor at the same time. Konbanwa

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  5. Complete Google translation:
    April 3, 2020
    To all participating organizations
    Kansai Suzuki Music League
    Masahiro Yoneda, President
    About cancellation of “Brass Expo 2020”
    We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation regarding the holding of the Federation’s events.
    Thank you very much.
    By the way, the Kansai Symphonic Band Federation, regarding the title competition, the new coronavirus of participating students
    The decision has been made to prevent infection and spread.
    We are very sorry that we could not respond to the expectations of participating organizations and students, but
    I would like to forgive me.
    In the next fiscal year, we plan to hold more meaningful tournaments including this year. By all means
    Please participate.

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    • wow, that’s the first time I’ve seen Ron in her school uniform. i read somewhere that the other girl in the school uniform was the wind club president? anyone know what her nickname was?

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        • oh, so that’s her nickname….i wonder why they would give her a name with the word “octopus” in it. she was also interviewed by the TV reporter. She seemed to have more to say than Ron did, though she seemed just as shy. 🙂

          holy cow…I had no idea that was Pimo. I imagine she was in her first year of college at the time.

          DET-san….the TV interview – which was broadcast live – is still on this site, in the “Events” section under “Events of 2017”. it was from the local Kyoto TV station, KBS.

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    • really nice . the second picture shows Ron in her school uniform and looking younger than we usually see her and Pimo just out of school and dressed up with make up on and looking older than we ever saw her.

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      • Hi Wayne…. there’s a TV video some where about the official invite of KT to the Rose Parade. I don’t know if it is on NHK or not. The reporter did interview Ron, and Tanaka-senei on the 5 minute report. It could have been deleted, since it is a trad mark of a TV station. arigatou

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            • Hai, This is the TV video of the invitation to the 2018 Rose Parade. Tanaka-senesi, and prof. Hisashi Hiramatsu was there, but we are missing Hirofumi Yokoyama. I quess he is behind the scene coach, unless there’s homemade fudge or brownies available. hahaha .arigatou

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        • Hi Paul M.-san….. I’ve been away from the computer for a few days, and if I wasn’t able to answer earlier, that’s why I seem to get heard-aches if I stay on the system for long periods of time, so I limit my computer time. Tanaka-sensei is very visible in most of the videos, but coach Yokoyama shy away. He was in most of your pictures, that’s because he knew where the fudge was, but I know one thing, he really liked your wife’s fudge. Was you able to produce enough fudge to supply all the band?
          To divert from the main thought, we had 4 more here in the state to die from the virus, that makes 51. your zutto tomodachi

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  8. I’d forgotten about that “Gangnam Style” song until I watched the video of KT playing it. I went back and found the original video by Psy and I have to say that this is another instance of me liking KT’s version of a song more than the original. 😀

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  9. Well fellow KT Bloggers, we all knew that at some point some group was going to take advantage of the the COVID-19 situation. (Tongue in cheek and hoping the URL is pasted correctly) The Daleks have chosen this time to make their reappearance in London and elsewhere!

    Those of us who are older might remember them from the British TV series Dr.. Who. For everyone else, it’s homework time. Just a bit of fun while we are all under house arrest. 🙂

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    • A friend built a Dalek and could tell you if there was something inaccurate with any of those in that photo 🙂 Anyone wanting to build one can find accurate instructions online that do indeed include a sink plunger in the parts list 🙂

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  10. I saw this on YT, titled “Colorado Symphony’s Digital Ode to Joy” with digital social distancing. Wouldn’t that be great if KT could figure this out? Just wishful thinking. Stay safe everyone.

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  11. New header picture: Thank you for all the suggestions! The difficulty with the parade pictures was that Okazel and Palinpu were always at the very edges of the picture and you could not recognize them well. Also in the mobile version of the blog they would have been cut off entirely anyway. Therefore I used a picture we see them all! Thank you for permission!

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  13. Main pic of this blog. Well, it has been long time, and it’s a pretty good pic. But we all get to know later that in that Rose Parade was 5pcs DM, so I like to see them all in main pic.
    Why?
    Just miss Okazel. She was the number one in this group.

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      • How about Hikari’s thumbnail?

        Or this one which was taken by GBA on the tachibana-rose blog

        Not the clearest pic, but if you look closely, all of their feet are OFF THE GROUND!!… one might even say, they were “flying” down that boulevard!

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        • Sledge, hard to see faces. I don’t have time to this now. But they were in tight group in Bandfest, so maybe there are those pics taken?

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          • Not many have labelled their pictures correctly so the search results are all over the place. Perhaps this is one of the better ones taken at the pass in review?

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        • Yep, totally agree, the audience reactions speak for themselves. Listening with good headphones, I gauge their success by the “wow!” and “amazing!” expressions within earshot of the person recording.
          I’m going to guess with the more subdued and reserved/polite culture in Japan, these kids never get that kind of roar for their performances. No wonder they mentioned feeding off the audience gave them that extra boost to keep up the pace for the whole RP.

          As for the hand in that shot, it looks like one of the other Youtube thumbnail pics has it cropped out.
          https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PnwbXk3JA4k/maxresdefault.jpg
          at the expense of the DM carrying the GBA flag. Can’t win when we rely on other people to take photos. (That’s why I do my own).

          Mind you, doing image searches brings in some fascinating results.
          I find a lot of photos of rehearsal sessions with other schools visiting them and vice-versa, and this one from Disneyland.
          https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7LRPAgVUAEO-Tw?format=jpg&name=large

          Plus this amazing action shot of the CGs at one of their local parades.
          https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJAflGCU4AAKc1J?format=jpg&name=large

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          • Hi The Sledge/Paul M……Boy, was I confused, looking at the second photo. I remember saying to myself, myself, what are the CG look at in the sky–UFOs? But none of the people on the sidewalk was looking up, then I noticed their flags floating above, then it became clear what was happening. tachibana tension

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            • I know, that’s why it was so fascinating. I flinch whenever one of these girls drop their flags during parades and field/stage shows, then try to see what would have caused them to be distracted – most times I can see they’re facing the sun.
              Apparently one of the attendees of their Rohm theatre concert last December had this in his hand.

              It is possible those were part of the gifts.

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        • Thanks Paul-san, it’s taken a long while to hone the skills to dig, pity I don’t get paid for this given the amount of time I spend searching for stuff. Oh, joy, I’m up late again burning the midnight oil here, but will hit the hay shortly.

          In answer to your question about editing the hand out, if my guess is right, that is a still shot from a good quality video, so if we can get some frames from either side (a few frames before/after that one) I’m sure someone skilful with Photoshop might be able to do what’s known as compositing. – splice bits of one photo, paste in the other, try to align things.

          It’s a laborious process though, needing good source images to splice in. We see a lot of that type of thing in CGI work nowadays, but it’s an old technique from film days – think how Industrial Light & Magic did the layering work in the original Star Wars and other groundbreaking films of the time.

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    • 😀 😀 that was funny! i’m glad there was english subtitles, though as i’ve found watching other japanese videos, you don’t always need to understand the language to see something is funny. what a tragic loss.

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      • Manny-san. I have watched many of his comedies. There’s one where he plays the grandfather living with his daughter, and he wet the bed. That morning, his daughter is giving him the devil, so late in the morning as his daughter, and husband are sleeping, he takes a pan of water in her bedroom, while she sleeps, and pours it on her sheets, while she is sleeping. Later, she wakes up and before she can hide the wet sheets, the family catches her with the wet sheets. I laughed so hard, I had tears. So funny. mata aimasho

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    • DET-san – – OMG, that was a very funny skit! Thank you very much for sharing! Such a sad loss of a very talented comedian.

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  15. My biggest regret in my life is i didn’t know what is KT until recently. I went to Osaka in March 2017 and if i only stumbled to their videos earlier, i might go there for a visit. I’m planning for a trip there again in 2021. Better start my preparations.

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  16. Hi! I’m a musician who plays clarinet. I’m interested in Main Street Electrical Parade, arranged by Naohiro Iwai. It’s also one of the arrangements used by KT? Does anybody know where can I get this arragement in order to play it with my band?

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    • This is a recording of the piece which KT seem to only be using the opening of in their Disney medleys.

      Might want to contact sheetmusicplus as they have his other wind band arrangements.

      Funnily enough, I found the arrangement that KT use for Sing3 from bandmusicshop

      of which a hilarious recording exists of In The Mood conducted by Iwai himself…

      Wish there was a video of this as the audience reactions to the band’s shenanigans sounded great.

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  19. This popped up new in my feed. a collection of the RP that seems to focus on the crowd reaction and interaction with KT. some videos I have seen, and some seem new to me. All in all a good collection.

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  20. I am looking for the missing RP footage, I refer of course to halt and fall out at the very end:) We see them turn left at the lights ( I am sure that someone will name the road ), and off they go still playing and dancing 🙂
    My brain has connected that road back to the start where they turn right onto Orange Grove Boulevard and created a loop tape where they are forever trapped going around and around 🙂

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    • Paul – i can confirm that the right turn onto Orange Grove is indeed from Del Mar.

      also, they cross Orange Grove again because north of Colorado, it turns northeast and then east.

      the reason for the “mario turn” being 105 degrees or 110 degrees (i don’t recall which one it is right now) is because at that point, northbound on Orange Grove is headed in a northwesterly direction, at an angle away from Colorado. it is not headed exactly north.

      well, actually….they don’t turn left onto Altadena Dr., they turn left onto Sierra Madre Blvd. at Colorado and follow that under the 210 freeway. they do pass Altadena Dr., though. Victory Park is on Paloma Street, which they turn left on from Sierra Madre. On many videos you can seem them making that turn, heading to the park.

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        • Joe-san…. I love pizza, doesn’t matter where it comes from, I love pizza. I looked up the history on “Wikipedia”, and it has a long and happy history. 6th Century BC Persia-Darius,the great; Ancient Greece; China, (pizza is an adaptation of the Scallion pancake, brought back to Italy by Marco Polo), Most all these types are not the Pizza that we see today, but are more like a flat pancake. I am told that Italian pizza is different than American pizza. To be honest, I don’t know the difference. I think that Paul’s guests like pizza too. My yen worth

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      • Paul M-san….. After receiving Puchie and Kurara comments, did the song, “Happy” enter into your life? I know I would be so happy, I would have trouble getting to sleep that night. To change the subject. did the school hold a graduation on the 31st? With the corvid-19 now making its trouble rounds in Japan, I was just wondering it there might be a picture or video of the graduation. Just my 5500 yen worth.

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  22. I’m just curious is everyone here knew KT for a long time or is this a recent things because of the Rose Parade? how did you stumble upon KT? For me I manage to luckily discover KT in November last year when I was trying to learn Japanese just out of curiosity. The first time I seen their video, the one with over 20 mil views, I was just in utter awe, I have never seen anything like it and frankly likely never will. I have never watch a school band in my life, let alone a marching band too, KT has me interested in something I never knew I can like. I thought like usual this is probably just a phase, and I gave it 2 months top. Here we are near end of March and I still find myself watching a random KT video almost every other days sometimes out of a conscious decision and sometimes just out of pure uncontrollable reflex. Yea it’s crazy. When I get a pop up recommend video of KT, I said to myself OK just a little bit, but somehow I usually end up watching the whole dam things, again, LoL. This is a curse, but it’s a good curse and I’m glad to have it and I think KT won’t ever let me off her snare. 🙂

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    • My daughter and I used to both play in marching bands in the UK. The usual kind of thing, Carnivals, Remembrance parades, fetes and of course some competitions. One day out of the blue in 2017, she sent me a link for a Japanese Girls school band, asking my opinion, and i saw for the first time the KT version of Sing3.

      I was astounded at the performance. Like many on this blog, I’m well aware of the hours that go into getting a performance right. I have played brass and marched since I was 12, and know how difficult that is to do. To see youngsters play to the quality they do, and to dance while doing it just blew my mind. There drill was tight and precise, though the mace signals from the DM often confuse me, the music good, and the whole joyful attitude of the band unbelievable. These were 14-17/18 yr old girls in full time education. What i saw was a group of kids having an absolute ball, and loving it.

      I have watched their shows since and almost always am impressed. The stamina that took them down the Rose Bowl parade was phenomenal. The only band that kept it going for the whole distance. I have watched three DMs R, O and P each stamp their individual authority and style on the band, and admired others from the past. Hiracho (I think that’s right) pulled the band almost literally out of the fire in 2011/12, others led the band to National success. R led a group to the United States, including players she must have seen as her mentors (Senpais) and presided over a display that only this year has been rivaled by the All Japan Honour Green Band. O saw a change of Band staff management, and a huge change in her responsibilities, took on the role took over the band and kept it first class leading quite literally from the front. P, what an elegant lady, took over from O and without Question built on the work done. Some of the 2019 performances were spectacular. They are definitely settled in with the MD, and showing the benefits of his tuition. Their AJMB performance was first class, falling over (IMHO) because of the prejudices of the judges as much as by any faults with the band. The new DM M, has a real challenge on her hands with the pandemic. I can’t wait to see how she deals with it.

      Yes Tachibana is a bit of an addiction, but seeing those kids perform, just warms the heart of an old man no longer able to play like that himself. (Actually I was never that good, KT wouldn’t even consider me!!)

      My biggest KT regret? I was in California, right where the Rose Bowl Parade takes place, the week before Christmas 2017. We were actually in the country at the same time, and for 24 hours in the same town and i didnt know it!

      KT well worth enjoying

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    • No, found out about them this past December. Have zero interest in marching bands in general. Never played an instrument. 3 months later, I have watched many dozens, maybe more videos, translated comments, subscribed to multiple YouTube channels, scoured this whole fansite (which really is fantastic), sent links to all my friends, annoyed the hell out of my teenage daughter with the videos, and started learning Japanese. The planned Japan trip whenever it happens will include a Tachibana band performance, naturally. It just happens. 🙂

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      • Ohayōgozaimasu,

        I like you have never played a musical instrument but have been involved/following marching bands when my kids were in high school and now my grandson. When I first saw KT several months ago, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and quite frankly still don’t. It almost seems as if there is someone ‘behind the curtain’,Wizard of Oz style, playing a soundtrack and they are just dancing, but we all know it’s the magic of Tachibana Tension. The quality of their performances are almost always top notch. The band’s onsite following has to be one of the largest in Japan, and the worldwide attention they have received is just amazing (as evidenced by this Blog).

        After many hundreds of hours watching their videos, many several times over, you start to see details within the band and the crowds that you didn’t see before because you were so engrossed with the overall performance.

        Welcome to the most avid group of Orange Devil followers on the planet!

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    • I first saw KT on Maui during the early 80s, yes 1980, as an 18 yr old growing up in Hawaii, Of course, an 18 yr old guy hearing of a HS band of all girls. No normal guy would pass it up!!! haha

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      • Same for me, first saw KT on Maui in the 80’s. My girlfriend at the time was in the HS band who hosted KT. I was in a crosstown rival band. 😁 Back then, they didn’t dance as they do now, but their musical skills, switching of different marching styles and precision as they played blew everyone away. My parents and my Aunt hosted several of the girls in subsequent years, when I had moved away for college. I did happen to be on island a few times when KT had come to town. 😉

        Lost track of them when they moved to Kauai, as I was wrapped up with my career and really didn’t have any contacts to keep me informed about their Kauai trips. Too bad, as if I had continued to follow them I would have been able to see Mita-chan in 2010. Then “I” lead 110, 111 and 112 in 2013. And then “P” lead 113, 114 and 115 on their visit in 2016. Sigh…what could have been. Darn career got in the way. LOL!

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    • A friend shared that 20 million views video long before it reached that number, a little investigation and I watched some more and found the name of the SHS Band, like rolling a snowball it just kept on getting bigger until I ended up here with full blown Tachibana addiction 🙂

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    • Paul M-san,

      If you are going to Japan in the Fall next year, at some point I would like to meet up with you in Kyoto. Have just about convinced my wife we should take the trip. It would be nice to see a KT performance in person. Have not yet started making any plans. I know others have talked about meeting up at some point, which I think would be awesome!

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      • I jested a while back that Pauls vacation would turn into a minibus full of KT fans all pinching themselves, I suggest that Paul starts a thread for who is interested and planning 🙂 What I suggest is rather than to hijack his vacation we limit the fan gathering to 3 days and retrace the steps of Ajig with a suitable KT performance 🙂 :)https://kyototachibanashsbandunofficialfanblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/tachibana-live-18th-kyoto-sakura-parade/

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      • Good morning Paul,

        Thanks for the info. We usually go on international trips for 2 to 3 weeks also but do not plan on staying in Kyoto the entire time, perhaps a few days, depending on next year’s KT schedule or we might even circle back to catch them at a later date during our trip. . Having never been to Japan, I am sure there is a lot to see in the country outside of Tokyo. We’ve learned during our travels to various countries to be flexible when trying to schedule.

        After viewing the crowds at Sakura parade, while it would be nice to be able to say ‘Been there, done That’ – I am also inclined to take a pass on it. Let’s keep in touch and I can also send you an email to discuss.

        Regards to you and Mrs. Paul

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      • Hi Paul M…. Not to mention the Olympics games that was re-scheduled (July-August 2021), and might draw thousand more people to Japan. Just finished watching the 2019 Sakura, and the crowded sideways are amazing. So many people that it was a struggle for the band to march down the street. My first video of Sakura, I think it was 2016(?), there were hardy anyone on the sidewalk, maybe 100; FYI: Many Japanese politicians are asking news companies to change the way they use their names. They want their family name first, and given names last. my 1 yen worth, I am poor again.

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      • Fall suites me as I will be doing it as a side trip from China, and the band sounds better after they have been training for the contests 🙂
        How to get around, with the maybe 10 people that have expressed an interest I think everyone could chip in and hire a minibus with local driver, I am a left hand driver but do not fancy driving in a strange country with strange signage and dealing with parking 🙂
        Itinerary, Ajig nailed it in 3 days on his trip and did the KT essentials with some interesting tourist stuff thrown in 🙂
        Where to stay, I had a quick look and there are lots of hotels with good facility’s at very reasonable prices 🙂
        Food, I have very little knowledge about Japanese food other than raw fish, so some edukshun would be welcome 🙂
        What I have decided is that I am not going anywhere while this virus is on the rampage, the only way that is going will end is with a vaccine and a jab for everyone !

        I think the really important question is do we call this an expedition or a pilgrimage 🙂

        Ajig’s video https://youtu.be/IgGOJfOzOlU

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    • I was looking for band and orchestra pranks such as when the Florida Orchestra inserted Darth Vader’s theme from Star Wars into Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet”

      and the suggestions feed showed some youngsters in bright orange uniforms – it was from their 2016 stage performance of Sing3 with peers sitting in the audience.

      Rabbit hole dive begins, first thinking it was absurd that they could be dancing and playing at the same time, wondering how the heck these kids managed to sound that good with so much movement whilst dancing. Then I noticed a few of the comments where regulars from this blog started pointing out their practice regime and tradition.

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        • Mine is when this bunch of students played the Mii Channel theme as a prank on their director, who took it well.

          They apparently sight-read that piece, which isn’t too bad given they never played that piece together before the prank. The wind band arrangement was done by one of the students who passed it to the various sections.

          If you’ve ever owned a Wii… and kids who will keep that menu open for hours on end, you’ll start humming that tune too.

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        • BTW that Bill Bailey stuff was funny. I quite like his “Dr Qui” rendition preceding the bassoon Bee Gees skit.
          Too bad there’s nothing new from him of late with the orchestra. Seems like Rainer Hersch has the limelight now… here’s his latest with the Coronavirus Concerto

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    • Wow, a lot of interesting story. Thanks all for the reply. Been a little busy with all the video call meeting that’s taking most of my time now that I have to work from home, not something I’m used to. So I’ve been browsing this site non stop for the past couple hours, there’s so much interesting information here, it would probably take me weeks to read everything it have to offer here I can’t wait. Thank you for this site and all its information, it’s really great.

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    • I keep looking to catch a glimpse of the person that was out front of the band this year who wore the full cape, except for the time she wore the happi.

      (Remember- NO nicknames. The Japanese stock market has fallen enough because of Covid-19: we don’t want to do anything to make it drop more!)

      ..Joe

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      • Joe-san…. I was in the St. Ursula Eichi SHS website, and I came across the band section, whereupon they had posted the same rules as KT, especially concerning active band members. They did not say what rules govern past names. I was impressed with their numerous schools around the world. It started as an all girl school, but became co-ed in the 1960s. Their website is St-ursula.ac.jp

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      • Unfortunately, Izusyo is not included. At that time, four schools besides KT played together. These are Kousiengakuen High School, Mukogawa Women’s University High School, Kwansei Gakuin High School, Nigawa Gakuin High School and KT.　There were a total of 300 students.
        By the way, Mukogawa Women’s University High School has won the silver prize in the final of the JMBA Marching Contest last year.

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        • There’s this video, but no KT in it that I can see. The dance clubs from three schools, all collaborated for a different video which looks like the same stadium.

          Potato resolution on the nico site doesn’t help, though.

          Online translation does an OK job on the description:
          “Doshisha Kari High School, Osaka Prefectural Imamiya High School, and Osaka Prefectural Tomioka High School dance club performed together. The dance, created by the students of the three schools who are usually rivals, included gratitude to all the people who supported high school baseball and the ale to the high school baseball players who were engaged in a heated battle.
          Amagasaki High School in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture performed the music and was in charge of both the chorus.”

          Doesn’t look like any of those schools were behind KT in Masaharu’s video, as the discussion regarding that video took place earlier in these comments notes the schools involved in that video.
          https://kyototachibanashsbandunofficialfanblog.wordpress.com/fan-corner/comment-page-23/

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      • That’s the same video that is on here under news, If I was one of the parents I would be raising holy hell to get one scene fixed rather than worrying about the youtube comments !

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    • Well, besides Yuina, I think both girls doing the dancing are former KT color guard who performed with GrooMe!. I know the color guard girl on the right was the one who also appeared in Yuina’s “Happy Happy Birthday” video. i don’t think I recognize anyone else.

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  25. Looking back at the 2018 Rose Parade i was curious about the alumnus in the color guard who dropped out (I wish we had her nickname so I wouldn’t have to refer to her that way). In videos she can be seen starting out with the band, but when I was looking at one of nakosoeki’s videos, I saw that by the time the band was approaching Colorado and Arroyo Parkway – only a little over a mile from where they started on Orange Grove Boulevard – she had already dropped out. So she didn’t last long. I figured the poor girl must’ve been in a lot of pain. In that same nakosoeki video she can be seen in the background dropping her flag while the band was just past the television area at Colorado and Orange Grove, but she picked it up and carried on as if nothing had happened. But in the video whose link Johndoe posted just below, we can see precisely when she dropped out – which was at the intersection of Colorado and Fair Oaks at the 4:30 mark in the video. It looks like there was a First Aid Station there, manned by what looked like Red Cross personnel (or maybe they were EMTs). I saw that she spoke to one of the two women who was accompanying the band, it was as if she said, “I think I’ve had enough.” (was one of the two women the assistant band director, Akemi Hayami?) The girl spoke to her and then the other woman walked her over to the station and spoke to one of the personnel, and she was dropped off there. The woman then continued with the band. The girl was smiling so maybe she wasn’t in that much pain, but i guess she knew she’d reached her limit.

    They actually did not stay there, though. Later in the aforementioned nakosoeki video, she can be seen carrying her flag and walking along Colorado with the Red Cross personnel, following the float that was behind KT (a member from another band can be seen walking with them, one of the Red Cross persons was carrying his drum). She looked like she had a slight limp. About a minute or two later, they are seen again, crossing the street to the north side of Colorado, behind the float and in front of the band from Ronald Reagan High School. I do wonder if they took both kids over to Victory Park, to await the arrival of their bands at the end of the parade route. Or perhaps to another aid station.

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    • I am not sure what her injury was, one interview says it was her back, however in the interview with Milpy she says that her senpai had a leg injury so I will go with that 🙂 Personally I would have put her in a taxi and sent her ahead to rejoin at the over bridge near the end, the School / GBA have a Duty Of Care and that looks why she was pulled out by the staff 🙂

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      • Yeah- I read the injury was to the back also, but she was wearing an elastic knee brace on her left leg. From what I remember reading, she had come all that way, and wanted to get past the reviewing stand. She got down the hill and a little bit farther – well past the Jag dealer, and then they took her out.

        From someone who basically has no left knee any more from tennis, I can tell you that even if it doesn’t feel too badly, you gotta take care of it, or you do more and more damage, until you end up like me- no cartilage at all in the knee, and wearing a huge thigh-to-shin steel and hard plastic brace just to walk…

        On old farts like me, it doesn’t matter, but not a very attractive fashion accessory for a beautiful young lady.

        ..Joe

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        • My mum was due to have a knee replacement operation, but had a fall last year and busted her OTHER knee, requiring an urgent knee replacement operation on that knee instead, she’s just come off the crutches and still keeps a walking stick handy. Seeing the swelling and how much pain she endured makes me want to make sure I take care of those knobby knees of mine too. Shedding the extra weight might help, but years of being overweight might be coming back to haunt me.
          The CG was surely a trooper to have gone that far with a bad back and knee. I never saw her wince once, even when hobbling over to the Red Cross medics.

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  26. Interesting “omnibus” of 3 videos of KT, first bit of footage as the uploader noted is from a National Cultural Festival in 2011, where they’re playing Kylie Minogue’s “I should be so lucky”… (ugh, as an Aussie, that’s a cringe-worthy pop tune)

    As the description notes: Second footage was Nagaoka Kyoto Garasha Festival held in November 2018, and the third is the Kyoto Student Festival held in October 2018.
    Pretty much all over the shop as far as a compilation video goes, but I don’t recall this being posted up here so enjoy!

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    • In the second footage, he left out the part where this group (stuck when a train crossed) ran to join up with the rest when the crossing’s barrier lifted and joined in perfect formation to complete the Gangnam tune. Shows how good they are 👍👍👍, I loved this part.
      See from 27:00 – https://youtu.be/sY4Kvq68ml4

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      • i watched the video, and i got to wondering if there were more people following them than in the band itself. top notch performance as usual, of course.

        i also noticed the young man in the uniform who was following them but was not playing an instrument, he was just waving to the crowd. if someone can’t play for whatever reason is that where they’re placed? anyone know the story with that?

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        • They are a family & don’t leave anyone out even when they can’t do the choreography due to injuries. The injured team member(s) wants to carry on in whatever way they can as well. That’s dedication and admired them even more for that.
          Another example of dedication, the rear group carried on playing during the separation, the show must go on 👍👍, but were told to stop by the silver hair gentleman in blue happi coat (seen in video when the barrier lifted) to stop (shown in another video).

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          • i see…..well, it’s good that they don’t want anyone to miss out.

            isn’t that silver-haired gentleman mr. hiramatsu, the first KT band director?

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  27. Hey guys, may i know how long has this forum been running? Currently i’m browsing through this forum up till October 2019 to expand my knowledge on KT. Today is my 4th day reading through, hopefully i can finish reading all the topics during this stay at home period…Agatte Kita!!!

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