Update: November 26, 2006
The Red Taiko no Tatsujin hats are no longer available.

Update: October 6, 2005
«©NCSX» Damn the wolfman, vampire, frankiestein, and mummy costumes. All one really needs for Halloween is a Taiko Hat.

Halloween is a few weeks away and the Taiko no Tatsujin Hat arrives just in time to fill your rhythm game costume theme. For example, don the Taiko Hat, wear an orange tablecloth, and grab a pair of drumsticks. Dub thyself "Taiko Man" or "The Drum Master Supreme" and impress everyone at the school/office Halloween party. For those who enjoy roaming the streets on All Hallow's Eve, wear the Taiko Hat and tuck two more Taikos underneath your arms to create a Taiko gang... all on your lone person. When you bellow out "Trick or Treat" at the neighbor's house, they'll be sure to give you both just to make you leave.

Two colors are available: Blue Drum Body with different faces and Red Drum Body with different faces. Since there are many faces and limited allocation, please note that we are selling the drums by Blue or Red body only. If you have a Taiko face preference however, please type up to three preferences in the notes section of the order form and we'll try our best to fill it. The hats measure 28cm long by 23cm tall or roughly 11" long by 9" tall. The area where one's head fits into is a "free-size" receptacle which accommodates small and large noggins alike.

The Taiko Hat is made of a plushy material and includes a chin-strap to make sure the Hat doesn't fly off your head when the wind blows. When running from derisive attackers, the chin strap will also ensure that Taiko doesn't bound away when its master is scampering over hillocks and grassy fields.

View larger photos for this item on the main NCS site.

Preorder Solicitation from August 2005
«©NCSX» With Taiko no Tatsujin hot in Japan and lukewarm in the USA, Namco capitalizes on the game with a cosplay-friendly Taiko Hat which ships in mid-late September 2005. The hat will apparently fit most heads and a chin-strap is included lest Taiko attempt to escape when gale force winds are blowing.

Ten face styles of the Taiko hat are listed in the preorder details but since the allocation is haphazard per case, we will likely assign styles randomly unless something changes in the carton allocation.

Cosplayers
In the land of Japan, a subculture found amongst the general population engages in an activity known as cosplay. Contract the words "costume" and "play" together and therein lies the origin of the word. Inspired by characters culled from video games, animation, and other sources, devoted maniacs, fiends, zealots, and enthusiasts dress up like their heroes and heroines to role play. For the most part, the costumes that these über fans don are homemade and custom crafted affairs. Occasionally, manufacturers cater to the cosplay crowd by offering professional grade products such as the Tidus zipper pants or the Pac-Man hat. Although cosplay originated in Japan, the phenomenon has migrated to other lands where the natives have sought to mimic their Japanese counterparts with colorful costumes, action-packed camera mugging, and like-minded fervor.

This document is ©NCSX 2005. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.