New Permanent Theater Facility Brings Internationally Acclaimed Japanese Taiko Group DRUM TAO to Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2025--

NRE & TAO Entertainment Partners LLC., a joint venture established by Nomura Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. and TAO Entertainment Co., Ltd. to engage in the entertainment business, JTB Communication Design, Inc. (JCD), and Nomura Real Estate Retail Properties Co., Ltd. are pleased to announce that DRUM TAO THEATER KYOTO, a dedicated theater for the Japanese taiko drumming performance group DRUM TAO, is scheduled to open in Kyoto in April 2026.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251219060250/en/

Teaser website: https://drum-tao-kyoto.com

1. DRUM TAO, internationally acclaimed for its traditional Japanese taiko drumming, will open a permanent theater dedicated to its night shows.
―Scheduled to open in April 2026, conveniently located near Kyoto Station―

DRUM TAO, a taiko entertainment group that has performed in 500 cities in 31 countries around the world and boasts a cumulative audience of 10 million people, will open a new theater in Kyoto dedicated to night shows, DRUM TAO THEATER KYOTO, as its new base.

Kyoto, in Japan, has built its history as a center of Japanese culture and tradition. This theater is the permanent, dedicated venue for DRUM TAO, which has created a unique stage art form centered around the taiko drum, featuring overwhelming performances and a diverse array of traditional Japanese instruments, right here in Kyoto. Just as DRUM TAO has evolved the tradition of taiko drumming to suit the modern age, we will also challenge ourselves to add new expressions to traditional culture through collaboration with Kyoto craftsmen and artists. Through these activities, we will work to make Kyoto nights a special place that brings together people from all over the world.

In addition, the theater will present different concepts twice a day for the enjoyment of a wide range of audiences regardless of nationality or age. We offer new options for night sightseeing to suit your individual tastes and itineraries.

Through the ever-evolving taiko performances, DRUM TAO aims to create new moments and experiences that resonate with the heart in the evenings of Kyoto, as well as to contribute to the revitalization of the local community and provide a place where people can connect with each other regardless of language or nationality.

Details regarding ticket sales will be announced around January 2026. Please check the teaser site, official Instagram, official X, and press release for the latest information.

2. First release of information on the area inside the theater, which aims to become Kyoto's new taiko night entertainment show!

　This theater will offer a special experience that can only be realized in a dedicated theater, not limited to viewing performances in the auditorium. The aisles and waiting areas within the theater will not simply be places to move around and wait, but will also be experience spaces that offer ways to enjoy taiko entertainment.

(1) LOUNGE

The lounge will have a bar counter serving drinks and food. The lighting design is also carefully selected to create an uplifting experience before the performance and a lingering moment afterwards.

The interior is decorated with giant lanterns and a giant noren curtain, the symbol of this theater. The giant lanterns, produced in collaboration with Kyoto craftsman Kojima Shoten, will warmly welcome visitors. The giant curtain is one of the world's largest in scale, and was produced in collaboration with Noren Nakamura, which is involved in the planning and production of curtains. The crests on the curtains are the work of Shoryu Hatoba and Yoho Hatoba, Monsho-uwaeshi, Kamon artist & designer at Kyogen, who specialize in family crest design. Each design embodies the fusion of tradition and innovation, a concept shared with DRUM TAO. These spaces will be used as places of experience to experience updated Japanese culture, and will add color to the overall worldview of the theater.

(2) ROOFTOP

The rooftop space attached to the theater allows guests to bring in drinks and food purchased at the bar counter in the lounge. Enjoy a special drink and a moment of relaxation before or after a performance on the open rooftop, while enjoying the night breeze of Kyoto.

(3) GIFT SHOP

There is a merchandise store inside the theater, where you can take home a unique souvenir of the excitement you experienced at the performance. In addition to the theater's original goods, the lineup will also include products made in collaboration with Kyoto's unique specialties.

3. Supporting partners:

JCB Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Takayoshi Futae, Chairman & CEO; hereinafter "JCB") has been selected as one of the supporting partners for this theater.

Comments from sponsoring partners

JCB strongly supports the philosophy of this theater and will co-sponsor this project in an effort to promote the appeal of Japanese culture to people in Japan and abroad. As the only international credit card brand from Japan, we will contribute to the creation of new tourism value and regional revitalization of Kyoto through taiko entertainment, a fusion of tradition and innovation.

JCB Company Profile

Company Name : JCB Co., Ltd.
Head Office Aoyama Rise Square, 5-1-22 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8686
Establishment: January 25, 1961

4. Facility overview

Nomura Real Estate acquired a hall in the Avanti Building, a facility located near the Hachijo exit of JR Kyoto Station. As a permanent theater, the production design and long-running performances create an environment in which visitors to Kyoto can immerse themselves in the world of DRUM TAO. Through this theater, we will introduce the best of new Japanese entertainment both domestically and internationally, while in the process helping to improve the attractiveness of Kyoto's nighttime tourism and revitalize the local community.

10 million audience members in 500 cities in 31 countries! One of the best non-verbal entertainment experiences in Japan. An overwhelming performance by Japanese drummers and people playing many different traditional Japanese musical instruments. It is one-of-a-kind performing art. When they performed off-Broadway in 2016, all of their shows were sold out. DRUM TAO was praised highly as the "face" of Japan, promoting the country around the world.

*The images shown are based on current assumptions and are subject to change.

DRUM TAO

DRUM TAO

Illustrative image of the gift shop

Illustrative image of the rooftop

Illustrative image of the lounge

Illustrative image of the lounge

Illustrative image of the hall

Illustrative image of the hall

Main image

The head of the U.S. agency for enforcing workplace civil rights posted a social media call-out urging white men to come forward if they have experienced race or sex discrimination at work.

“Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race or sex? You may have a claim to recover money under federal civil rights laws," U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas, a vocal critic of diversity, equity and inclusion, wrote in an X post Wednesday evening with a video of herself. The post urged eligible workers to reach out to the agency “as soon as possible" and referred users to the agency's fact sheet on “DEI-related discrimination” for more information.

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She added that “the EEOC’s doors are open to all,” and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "protects everyone, including white men.”

Since being elevated to acting chair of the EEOC in January, Lucas has been shifting the agency's focus to prioritize “rooting out unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” aligning with President Donald Trump's own anti-DEI executive orders. Trump named Lucas as the agency's chair in November.

Earlier this year, the EEOC along with the Department of Justice issued two “technical assistance” documents attempting to clarify what might constitute “DEI-related Discrimination at Work” and providing guidance on how workers can file complaints over such concerns. The documents took broad aim at practices such as training, employee resource groups and fellowship programs, warning such programs — depending on how they’re constructed — could run afoul of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race and gender.

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FILE - Andrea Lucas, nominee to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, June 18, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)