財団主催の「第3回総務大臣杯日本太鼓ジュニアコンクール」が去る3月25日長野県岡谷市において29都道府県(180チーム・2200名)から選抜された高校生以下の33チーム340名が出場して行われました。このコンクールで大分県代表のゆふいん源流少年隊が優勝し、本日その演奏を披露することとなりました。

　ゆふいん源流少年隊は、町の公民館事業のゆふいん子供太鼓教室として、町内の小学生を中心に発足されたチームで発足して4年目を迎えます。

　ゆふいん源流太鼓の精神を小さい身体に受け、一打に気合を封じ、一打から気迫が伝わる太鼓をチーム一同、心を一つにして打ち込んでいけるようがんばっています。

　Yufuin Genryu Taiko Junior Team won the grand prize at the Third Nippon Taiko Junior Competiiton held in Nagano prefecture on March 25, 2001. Thirty three junior teams composed of members from age 4 to 18 were selected as finalists from 180 teams representing 2200 players from twenty nine prefectures. Yufuin Genryu Taiko's energetic and disciplined performance was outstanding.

　The name of this group comes from the location of its origin “Yufuin”in Oita prefecture of Kyushu,　which is a hot spring town located at the foot of Mt. Yufudake considered Mt.Fuji of Kyushu Island.

　Although the Junior Team made up mostly by the primary school children started Taiko at the city's community center only four years ago, Yufuin Genryu Taiko with its own unique rhythm dates back 400 years. The rhythm indigenous to Yufuin was revitalized by Tadashi Hasegawa and his group twenty years ago, and now it has attained wide following among various Taiko teams throughout Japan.