Hey! Living in Osaka Japan and I’m interested in getting a shamisen! I’ve only ever really listened to Tsugaru style so that catches my interest immediately, but I’m going to start listening around to hear others.
Anybody know of some good places to start looking in Osaka or Sakai in terms of purchasing, seeing performances, and finding a teacher. My Japanese is decent enough for lessons I’d say.
Thanks!
If your Japanese is up to par, you could just google 和楽器屋 in your area and see what comes up!
An alternative is to go to a bar called Rokudan in Osaka. You’ll probably meet players and other interested people there who may be able to connect you to the local community.
Another alternative might be skype lessons with my friend, Hamatani Takuya. He is proficient in Min’yo, Tsugaru, Okinawa sanshin, and can play a variety of pop tunes too.
Cheers~
There is a shamisen store in Osaka, about 10 minutes walk from the Glico billboard. Here’s the link.
The owner is super friendly.
For Osaka, I recommend the Toyoshige school(豊茂流).
The Toyoshige school is a descendant of Shamisen Toyokichi.