Taiko drums can trace their roots to the 6th century and have been utilized in various manners, including communication, military action, theatrical accompaniment, and religious ceremonies. Hailing from the Buffalo/Niagara region, the Shibuki Taiko Drum Group and their guests, the Odori-no-Kai dance troupe, are part of a movement in which taiko and other similar groups were formed as a response to the internment that Japanese-Americans endured.