Hey folks. I’m heading to Osaka this weekend, any good wagakki or second hand stores that might carry stuff?
I’m not looking for anything in particular, but I always like to look.
I think Nathan Deniston lives there. You should try to ask him. http://bachido.com/community/members/181
I couldn’t find on my last trip unfortunately. I lived there for a year but I was not playing shamisen at the time. Hope Nathan can help you. If not I can suggest you the shop where I bought my shamisen In Kyoto.
Let me know if you want the name of the shop eventually. I will have to search for the business card or my shamisen invoice.
Hello Jacinthe. I will be in Kyoto next week and I am interested even for a simple visit (I don’t think I have a lot of things to buy for the moment, but maybe a simple yubikake just for the fun). Thanks.
I just typed the name on my shamisen invoice in Google and I found a Facebook page. Looking at the pictures it is the same shop and there is a map on the FB page too.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/金善楽器店/617084418411679
Patrick, il y a des yubikakes alors tu devrais trouver très facilement. J’espère que tu parles japonais parce que j’avais tout fait en japonais quand j’y suis allée alors je ne suis pas certaine qu’il parle anglais…
Hey Chris
I was in this Second-Hand Koto & Shamisen Shop back in 2013 to buy my first Shamisen. It was a Jiuta/Minyou-Shamisen, I don’t know if they also have Tsugaru-Shamisen, but I think so.
Google Street-View Link: https://www.google.ch/maps/@34.6713652,135.5072282,3a,75y,276.84h,87.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDQjGbagNXJlWVyKeaYt2jQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1
The Adress is:
Chūō-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu 542-0082 2 Chome-13-6 Shimanouchi
…or…
〒542-0082 大阪市中央区島ノ内２－１３－６
It’s reachable via the Nagahoribashi Subway Station and then Head South. Then I think it’s best to use offline maps or ask some people ^^’
Website: http://www.tutayagakki.com
The Owner was very friendly. he spoke very little English, but was very helpful and he knew exactly what I wanted 
Regards
Andreas
Jacinthe : thanks, I will go… Ca ira pour la langue… j’espère !
Thanks guys! I ended up finding a few things at the Tennoji Flea Market and in an old shop in Tenjinbashi (that was mostly filled with Enka CDs…). Mostly old, old koma of vaguely indeterminate material.
Andreas, I’ll be sure to take a look at Tsutayagakki the next time I’m in Osaka!
Jacinthe, I’m also marking down that shop :0!
I was planning to visit Kobe before the Summer winds down, and hopping over to Osaka and Kyoto wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
I bought my shamisen at Tutaya, the place mentioned above. There is also another place near Tennoji, but it was rather small. The owner was much friendlier than the guy at Tutaya (who wasn’t terrible). Unlike the guy at Tutaya, though, the owner is actually a player.
Have to find the name of the place and I will post it.