Every End is a New Beginning

After almost ten months' worth of bonding, practicing, performing, building new equipment, traveling to new places, and making collegiate taiko history, Bakuhatsu is sad to say that the 2016-2017 season is over with our last practice of the school year last night.

Bakuhatsu after the last practice of the 2016-2017 school year where we planned for the future and jammed until we were out of breath. Photo courtesy of Naoki Kanagawa

​Congratulations to our graduating seniors as they take the Bakuhatsu spirit with them in their future endeavors!
Allyson Beem
August Walker
Curtis Fan
Calvin Lee
Daniel Kim
Gloria Kum
Naoki Kanagawa
Rahi Suryawanshi
Shai Nielson

Also, a special shout out to our member Hiroya Mizobe who is heading back to Japan soon and who we'll miss very much!

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The school year may be over, but Bakuhatsu doesn't give up on taiko that easily (or at all). The team will be back at it again with summer practices and performances resuming shortly after finals end. While we will be missing some members who are leaving Davis soon and will say goodbye to graduates as they leave Davis, we still have the summer full of song learning and performing to look forward to!

San Jose Obon, July 8-9
Bakuhatsu is incredibly honored to have been asked back for another year in a row to perform at our biggest performance of the summer, San Jose Obon—a festival where "generations of families and friends come together and enjoy a rich cultural experience in one of the three remaining Japantowns in the United States." There will be games, food, taiko performances from various groups, and lots of dancing. We can't wait to join in on the festivities and also perform on Sunday, July 9th!

2017-2018 Board Members
Congratulations to the new Bakuhatsu board members as they transition into their new positions over the summer.

Co-Presidents – Tomoki Masakawa & Braden Wong
Practice Directors – Issa Takada & Yuki Igarashi
Administrative Director – Quynhmi Nguyen
Treasurer – Jonathan Gong
​Equipment Managers – Michaela Tan & Gregory Wada
Publicity Manager – Michelle Boutell
Showcase Directors – Thao Le Hoang, Cayce Badiola & Quynhmi Nguyen
Workouts Director – Daniel Lavados
Relations Ambassador – Gregory Wada
Historian – Michelle Boutell
Webmaster – Daniel Lavados
Designer ​– Gloria Kum

Thank you to everyone—​family, friends, and all other supporters—who helped make this year as amazing as it was. We hope to make next year even better!

Bakuhatsu members and guests after the 2016-2017 annual BakuBanquet. Photo courtesy of Naoki Kanagawa

Written by Shai Nielson, BTD Historian 2016-2017