It says under the accessory set that koma and bachi are sold separately, but is that just for that set or for the Shamisen itself? Because I don’t understand why a Shamisen wouldn’t come with essential components.
Hey Connor,
I’m rather sure Bachi and Koma are separate purchases. If it were all bundled together, the cost would be that much higher.
Sold separately, you might be able to source these items elsewhere or make them yourself.
Hi Connor,
I know we already discussed this via email, but I’ll mention it again here just for others who might also be curious. (I’ll also clarify it better on the Beginner’s Shamisen page 
)
So regarding accessories with the shamisen. Typically, makers of the shamisen only build the wooden frame of the shamisen and skin it. The “raw” shamisen, as it were. In a way, they are wholesalers and often don’t stock/sell accessories. (Afterwards, retailers will add on the accessories and set their price before selling it.)
To keep the price low as possible, we sell the shamisen direct from the maker. As Mr. Brown said, bundling it together raises the overall cost. Because the shamisen and accessories come from two different suppliers, combining the items before shipping is actually costlier to the customer than sending two separate orders. (We were quite surprised by this fact)
Also, bachi and koma are separate from the Accessory Set because there are several options to choose from. Those who have a tighter budget might choose the Plastic Bachi, whereas those who can afford a better one might choose the Faux-Bekko Bachi.
Thanks again for asking for emailing me about this. I’ll make it more clear in the Beginner’s Shamisen page to help others.
Cheers!
Kyle
Update: I removed your other post asking why the shamisen couldn’t be added to the cart, as my answers here address that as well. (Combining orders from the two suppliers in Japan ended up costing more than shipping the two items separately) Thanks!