Osaka Character Kuidaore Taro Snares Drum Deal with Yamaha

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:04 JST, May 12, 2023

OSAKA — The company that owns the iconic drum-playing mascot Kuidaore Taro has signed a contract with a sales subsidiary of Yamaha Corp., under which Taro will play only drums made by Yamaha. The mechanical figure is scheduled to appear in catalogs and at other events.

Kuidaore Taro first appeared as a mascot for a restaurant in Osaka’s Dotonbori district in 1950. The mascot’s bright red-and-white striped clothing and the amusing sight of him playing the drum has delighted tourists over the years. The restaurant closed in 2008, and Taro was moved to the nearby Nakaza Cui-daore Building in 2009.

Since 2017, Taro has been used at product release events and other occasions for Yamaha.

The contract was signed between Yamaha’s sales subsidiary, Tokyo-based Yamaha Music Japan Co., and Taro’s owner.

At a ceremony to mark the new arrangement on April 24, Taro received a brand-new drum from Yamaha and immediately started mechanically playing the instrument, just as he has done for about 70 years.