A shamisen instrument maker near Tokyo has developed a synthetic substitute for the cat and dog skins used to craft the traditional three-stringed instrument. Developed by Komatsuya Ltd., the artificial material has been well received by professional musicians for its ability to match sound created ...
Few instruments are as integral to a nation's traditional culture as Japan's shamisen, whose evocative sound accompanies a range of performances from kabuki and puppet plays to folk songs and geisha entertainments in teahouses. But in the 21st century, the three-stringed instrument is facing something ...
The central government has named seven individuals as envoys to promote cultural exchanges with other countries in fiscal 2015, the Cultural Affairs Agency said Monday. They include Kenichi Yoshida, a member of the Tsugaru shamisen duo called the Yoshida Brothers, and photographer Naoya Hatakeyama. The five ...
Wasabi "Wasabi 2" (Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation) Wasabi refines its take on traditional Japanese music for sophomore album "Wasabi 2." Ryoichiro Yoshida, the elder of well-known shamisen duo the Yoshida Brothers, started Wasabi in 2008 with shakuhachi player Hiromu Motonaga and taiko drummer Naosaburou Bihou. ...
Learning to play the three-stringed Japanese traditional instrument shamisen topped Canadian Maud Archambault's list of things to do while in Japan. She arrived here in 2001 to explore one of her fields of study: Japanese culture. Fast forward to today, where she is recognized as ...
Asuka Takita has a passion for Africa and its wildlife that took root during her childhood in Singapore and flourished in the soils of Kenya during her third year of university.
Next time you attend a shamisen performance, neither you nor most anyone else there will likely notice the elephant in the room. And those who do probably won’t have given it much thought.
