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Glite Dictionary
🥁 A Japanese drum 👑 A retired regent 🎶 Japanese drumming style
taiko

taiko

1 9.9
A historical Japanese title given to a retired ruler
  • proper noun
  • /ˈtaɪkoʊ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : taiko
  • The name taiko is closely associated with the legacy of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Japan's history.

Examples

  • Idiyoshi became kampaku and later taiko of a newly reunified Japan.

  • Eiji Yoshikawa did pretty well with "Musashi" and "Taiko," for the historically fiction-inclined.

    Blog text (10)

  • Toyotomi Hideyoshi held the title of taiko after retiring as regent of Japan.

  • In the historical context, a taiko was often seen as a powerful figure in Japanese politics.

Surface Forms

taiko main

Etymology

Taiko as a historical title comes from a different Japanese word taikō ('retired ruler' or 'former regent'), a name given to powerful leaders like Toyotomi Hideyoshi. So being called a taiko showed someone had left office but still held honor and influence.