Unlike Western percussion instruments such as the timpani or the xylophone, Japanese percussion instruments do not have definite pitch. There are, however, many percussion instruments where different, if still undefined, pitches can be produced by striking the instrument in different areas. Instruments such as the shamisen can be considered a type of percussion instrument. The koto and biwa, the shakuhachi and nōkan also have percussive sounds that are an integral part of their music. This concept has exerted a profound influence on contemporary Western instruments.

Some Asian cultures, particularly India, have peerless membrane percussion instruments, while others, such as Indonesia, have remarkably developed metal percussion, the gamelan being the representative instrument. Some aspects of Japanese musical culture also focus on percussion; for example, the aesthetic concept of expressing the sounds of natural phenomena through the sound of a taiko drum reflects the pleasure Japanese take in rhythm.

One distinguishing feature of Japanese percussion performance is the rallying cries and shouts of encouragement by the performers. In some percussion ensembles, particularly the hayashi, these cries play more than an expressive role as the voice is also an important element in the formation of rhythmic patterns. The cries also function as musical cues as conductors are not found in traditional Japanese music.

There are several ways to classify Japanese percussion instruments, but percussionists are reluctant to adopt the academic systems of classification. For the purposes of this book, I have classified percussion instruments according to the materials used as the principal sounding medium: instruments using leather or plastic, played with sticks or hands, are classified as Membrane Percussion; those made from wood or bamboo and played with sticks are classified as Wood and Bamboo Percussion; and instruments with metal or stone as the principal sounding medium are classified as Metal and Stone Percussion.

Membrane Percussion

Two families of drums fall into the membrane percussion category: taiko and tsuzumi. Academic theories claim that the taiko came from China and the tsuzumi from India and Tibet.