Aimachi

Aimachi is a Tenrikyo church based in Nagoya, Japan. Outside Japan, Aimachi is most known for its marching music and color guard ensembles. A selection from their 130-member marching band compete internationally as an indoor percussion ensembles, indoor marching ensembles, baton twirling, and winter guards. The group rehearses outside of Nagoya in Handa City.

The Aimachi Band was started in 1962 with four members. The Founder of the Band, Kiyokazu Sekine, is the son of Aimachi's founder and continues to serve as the group's Director. In 1998, the Aimachi marching band became the All-Japan National Champion in the All-Japan Marching and Baton Twirling championships for the first time in their history. They have gone on to win in January 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, December 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015, and performing in exhibition in December 2007 and 2010. They also won the WAMSB World Championship for Marching Showbands in 2002.

Since 1990, Americans on Aimachi's instructional and design staff have included Gordon Henderson (Band Director), Mitch Rogers, Michael Gaines, Jim Campbell, Tim Fairbanks, Erik Johnson, Scott Kretzer, Brett Kuhn, Jim Moore, Martin Rhees, Dean Westman, William Plenk, Christian Carichner, Stephen Mason, Aidan Ritchie and Kevin LeBoeuf.

In July 2011, the Aimachi Band traveled to Switzerland to perform at the Basel Tattoo. In May 2012, the Aimachi Band celebrated its 50th anniversary with a show performed at the Nagoya Century Hall entitled "Evolution."

Other international performances have included those in Thailand, Taiwan and Shanghai.

This group performs in many competitions across Japan, the Winter Guard International championships, and other exhibition performances throughout Asia. At WGI Percussion, they placed 3rd in 2000, 2006 and 2008 in the Independent World Division. A group celebrating their cultural origins, they deviate from conventional battery percussion by adding taiko drums, shime-daiko drums, and the odaiko drum to a traditionally western activity. They add many elements from their award winning Winter Guard into their performances, including flags, rifles, sabres, batons, and dance sections to offer a visual package unique in the percussion circuit.

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