Hey everyone!
I’m buying my first Shamisen very soon.
I think I’m safe in asking about Synthetic skin when ordering my instrument but in terms of other possible animal product items; what else is there?
I understand the Bachi is traditionally made from… bone? - what is the name for a Faux version of this? - Just in case the french word is not well known in Japan.
I’d like to avoid any animal products in my instrument 
Thanks for any advice and help!
Hello,
Shamisen are traditionally made from wood, but MAY utilize animal products in the:
Azuma Sawari (usually wood, but occasionally ivory (zouge))
Itomaki (usually ebony, occasionally Kouki, sometimes ivory, acrylics increasingly present)
Bachi (plastic, ivory, wood, tortoise shell (bekkou), acrylic, water buffalo horn, combinations of materials rather common)
Koma (often wood and ox bone (shari), commonly plastic, sometimes ivory, sometimes tortoise shell, rarely water buffalo horn[jiuta/kyoujamisen])
Kawa (dog, cat, goat, kangaroo, calf, synthetics)
Bachigawa (dog, cat, often synthetic these days)
Doukake (leather, rarely faux bekkou)
The Japanese term for faux bekkou is
neo-bekkou or bekkou-chou. Plastic may refer to faux ivory, if it is a resin base (such as the Shirozou brand).
cool okay, thanks for all that To clarify in guitar terms, is this correct?
Azuma Sawari is the nut?
Itomaki is the tuning pegs?
Bachi is the plectrum?
Koma is the bridge?
Kawa is the skin of the body?
Bachigawa is the scratch plate effectively?
Doukake is the wrist rest kind of thing on top of the body?
The azuma sawari is the mechanical component of the kamigoma or nut that creates the sawari.
This is the characteristic gentle buzzing sound of shamisen, similar to a sitar.
The kamigoma is also occasionally made from ivory, come to think of it.
Otherwise yes, although the Bachigawa isnt a plate by any means.
It’s a thin strip of skin placed on the skin to help guard against the bachi breaking through. It’s reinforcement, more than anything.
Great, thanks again! Can’t wait to get it!