Senryu Taiko was established in the fall of 1998.  Founding members were once part of a class devoted to taiko but wanted to further explore their love for taiko by creating Senryu Taiko.  "Senryu" is made up of two separate kanji characters: "river" and "willow" respectively. A senryu is a type of Japanese structured poem that can depict just about anything; from nature to political satire. By embracing such a rigid structure one can realize an overwhelming freedom. The structure defines a rule playing by which we must reach deep within ourselves and far beyond our own worlds in order to create individuality, yet this freedom thrives because of the existence of a structure. In this sense the need for structure and the need for freedom are interdependent. Which is how we at Senryu believe taiko should be played. Senryu Taiko's mission is to share their love and knowledge of taiko by performing around the UCR campus, Riverside County, and the Inland Empire.