When did modern taiko drumming begin?

Surprisingly, not that long ago.

Daihachi Oguchi, the founder of Osuwa Daiko, created the Kumi-Daiko style in 1951. He was a jazz drummer. One day, he was asked to interpret an old sheet of taiko music for the Osuwa Shrine, which was found in an old warehouse. The sheet music was written in an old Japanese notation and he couldn't understand it. He found an old man who had performed the tune. However, as a jazz player, the rhythm pattern of the tune was too simple for him to play. He wondered why nobody played taiko together. A marvelous idea came across his mind and made him decide to break through the tradition. Inspired by a western drum set, he formed a group in which each player beats a different taiko; in short, he gave the group a function as a drum set.