It was a busy day in Claremont Saturday as the city not only celebrated Earth Day, but the arts of Japan at Pilgrim Place. The highlight was Makoto Taiko, the art of the Japanese drum. The group played to an audience of over 100, with a simple focused goal of drumming to serve as a bridge for global understanding beyond language and words. The bigger drums are carved out of one piece of wood, can weigh over 50 pounds and cost over $14,000. Being a drummer not only takes years of practice, but physical conditioning to continue the beat throughout an entire concert. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger