In 1973, Reverend Hiroshi Abiko, Roy Hirabayashi, and Dean Miyakusu started a taiko group at the San Jose Buddhist Temple as a way to get young people involved in church activities and to convey their experiences as sansei, or third generation Japanese Americans. Looking to Japan for inspiration, they were drawn to the empowering sounds of the taiko, the Japanese drum, an instrument that embodies the spiritual essence and heartbeat of Japanese culture. The taiko group soon began to attract young adults from Japantown, and the youth group soon turned into an adult community group, which gave its first performance in the fall of 1973.

Since then, SJT has become a dynamic, world-class ensemble, performing extensively both nationally and internationally. SJT gives more than 200 performances and workshops each year and reaches over 100,000 audience members annually. Weaving traditional Japanese sounds with other world rhythms - African, Latin, Balinese, American rock and jazz - SJT presents a contemporary sound that bridges diverse styles and resonates with the Asian soul in America.

SJT has been recognized for its artistic and managerial excellence by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, Meet The Composer International Creative Collaborations, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Knight Foundation, the Arts Council of Santa Clara County, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and was a recipient of the Chevron Award for Excellence.