Kristen started playing taiko in 2011 at UCLA with the student group Yukai Daiko. She played there for just a couple years but enjoyed the close camaraderie that is inherent in taiko groups, the mental and physical challenges that come with the art form, and having a way to connect with her Japanese-American heritage. Kristen didn’t return to taiko until the summer of 2018, when she moved to San Diego and joined Naruwan. She is grateful and thrilled to be part of a taiko group again.
Kristen
![](https://naruwantaiko.com/2015site/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/kristen-taketa-e1547785055132.jpg)