Eitetsu Hayashi, one of Japan's foremost solo taiko drummers, is in the UAE as part of celebrations marking 40 years of diplomatic relations with Japan.
Taiko - meaning "drum" in Japanese - tends to be associated with ensembles beating a commanding rhythm on huge, barrel-shaped drums, but Hayashi does it all himself. On Sunday, he performed in Abu Dhabi and moves on to Dubai tonight before heading to Oman and Bahrain.
"There has been a tendency for communication and exchange between the two countries to be limited to business," said Susumu Yoshida, the cultural attaché at the Japanese embassy in Abu Dhabi. "We want this to develop in a much more profound way."
Taiko Legend: Heart Beat from Japan is at Mamzar Theatre, Dubai, tonight at 8. Entrance is free. Click here for more information.
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