Sounds amazing. Can’t confirm just yet, but I’ll be working on it…
If anyone wants super cheap accommodation, I found a great capsule hotel not far from Katoh’s shop this last weekend. It’s clean, and you get a locking closet big enough to store a shamisen and suitcase easily. It’s just over 2000 yen per night with tax, and a little more on weekends. It’s going to be my go-to place in Tokyo from now on. They advertise as being male-only, but I definitely saw a female-type person there. Might have been a special exception. I don’t know.
I would be interested in this.
Excellent! I’ll add your name to the list, Stan! 
Katoh san and I have been discussing it in greater detail recently, so wheels are definitely in motion!
Hi!!! Sorry for my long absence on Bachido post. I have slowly got to interested in this event and still considering. I have never visited Shamisen Katoh shop and want to visit someday and would love to see Mr. Katho.
I am missing Linda and know she cannot come to this event. BH coming is also unknown. So, let me still consider it.
Kyoko-san, actually, I don’t know if I can come or not. My Japan plans have become uncertain recently. If my existing plans fall through, it might be possible for me to attend the Shamisen workshop. I won’t know for several months at least, though… (Thank you for missing me!! )
In that case, let us still wait and see how things will turn out.
Thanks to your feedback, the wheels are in motion! We’re about to bring the idea to the artists and ask if they would like to share their skills with the international shamisen community!
This brings an important question - If you can come to this event, what would you like to learn from these highly skilled players?
Please let me know your thoughts as soon as possible! Any feedback will greatly help the instructors format their workshops to what you want to learn.
I would love to go… especially if I end up not going to Japan for the World Kendo tournament to watch. Would students that do not do tsugaru style be welcome? I do mostly minyo
Hi Cathleen!
Oh gosh, my apologies for not writing you earlier.
That would be great! All the instructors would be tsugaru shamisen players, but if you’re open to learning a different style, I believe much can be gained from attending the camp.
Four instructors have already RSVP’d, so things are coming together!
Kyle,
Thank you- yes it would be interesting to learn a different style. My sensei does do tsugaru, but she hasnt taught me, and considering her age… she’s 93 almost!.. it might not be so great. but it would be interesting to learn from different sensei, as I think I am getting a rather “rushed” lesson these last few years since she’s not sure how much longer she will be around. Please keep me updated, i would be very interested.
Can’t wait to have the date and name of instructors!
Any news on this? By the way, I know I’m late, but I’d be interested in a workshop on improvising with the shamisen.
One more late buddy here. My experience with shamisen is strong zero now, but I’m very much interested.
Hey dudes! Glad to hear you all are still interested! Actually, Nitta san and I are going to have a skype meeting about it in a few days.
We’ve both been so busy the past few months (him - touring, me - studio making) that we had to postpone planning for a short time. But in any case, wheels are still in motion, and Chitoshan has been reserved from June 24th to 28th. I’ll have more news from our meeting within the week!
Thanks for checking in on this! I’m glad to hear of continued interest, and can add your names to potential RSVPs.
I’d like to put my name as a potential participant. But it’ll largely depend on my finances and my ability to break from university for a few days (I have summer classes)!
Hey folks!
At last, we’ve confirmed all the instructors and soon I will be making a page for the event.
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know the cost of the camp.
Day 1. Dinner party
Day 2~4. Workshops from 3pm to 8pm (9 instructors total)
Day 5. Bachido Taikai (the show-&tell style thing we did in Misawa)
For such an event, does 40,000 yen sound reasonable to you?
Right now, it’s kind of a balance between making sure everything/everyone gets paid for, but reasonable enough that people from overseas can afford to go.
If it’s too high, I might lower the price at the cost of removing Day 1 and Day 5.
If anyone planning to go has any thoughts on this matter, I’d love to hear from you as soon as possible. Thanks!
I’m in. That’s a good deal!
Would love to see Day 5 happen. Day 1 looks cool too, but not as cool as Day 5 if I’d have to choose between them.
As an overseas traveler I personally don’t see much to cut in the price. The flight is twice this price, hotel, food & entertainment will add up. So say 10,000 yen cut won’t be decisive.
Hi Dmitry! Thanks for your input, you make a great point. Alrighty, I got some ideas!
This will probably what Day 5 will be like. It was so much fun!
Sorry for taking a while to respond, been busy lately. Price looks good to me! Looking forward to it!!