Profile: Toshi Sakamoto Toshinori Sakamoto: Born February 1959, Kumamoto, Japan In 1987 Toshi formed a taiko conservation group, the "Rindo Daiko Association" in Kumamoto, Japan, and began to perform. Toshi participated in the start-up of the Kumamoto Castle Taiko. He received training from Takashi Fukuda, a percussionist with the Kumamoto Philharmonic Orchestra, and received intensive lessons and training from Ondekoza's Yuu Imafuku as well as various well-known Taiko teams in the area. In 1995, Toshi arrived in Australia for the first time a voluntary member of a Japanese cultural exchange team. He worked for nine months on cultural activities centred around taiko performance. In 1996 he was invited back to the same position. He settled in Melbourne in the same year, and held the first ever Australian Wadaiko training class, in Melbourne. In 2005, the 10th year anniversary concert was held with 90 students, young and old. Currently, around 100 performances and workshops are held at local primary and high schools. in 1997, "Wadaiko Rindo", a formal taiko performance group, was formed. The group has performed in various events as well as musical, arts and cultural festivals all over Australia. Wadaiko Rindo has also had successful tours overseas, performing in Fiji, New Caledonia and China.