dadaiko drum; large drum for bugaku and gagaku
A large Japanese drum used primarily in outdoor bugaku (court dance) and gagaku (court music) performances. The term is specific to traditional performing arts contexts.
In bugaku performances, the dadaiko drum beats a powerful rhythm.
The dadaiko drum used in gagaku has beautiful decorations.
Standard kanji spelling for the large drum used in gagaku and bugaku.
Rare variant using the character 鼉 (alligator), likely historical or decorative.
Compound of 大 (large) and 太鼓 (drum). The rare variant 鼉太鼓 uses 鼉 (alligator), possibly referring to the drum's skin or a historical name.