More reasons to attend:
Some rather interesting techniques here, does anybody know more about them, like history, japanese names etc?
Eg. the one shown at 6:00 - don’t think I’ve seen it in other videos.
Holy Smokes!!! That has got to be one of the coolest Shamisen videos I’ve ever seen! This lady is out of control! The flying Bachi technique was simply Awesome! I love the intensity of the simplicity too! Plus she uses the "God Finger " technique! At around 2:35. not to mention she is totally insane in a hilarious sort of way! Oh God! Starting around 4:00! I need to learn that! And starting at like 5:10.
What the Hell is up with that? W…w…what the???
Oh man, an improvised duet between Kevin Kmetz and Tanaka Yumiko would be the most fitting collaboration in the history of forever! I hope you two get a chance to play during the Camp!!
Yatagarasu, will you be blessing us with your presence at ShamiCamp this year? 
Oh Sweet Jesus! I am so sorry! I wasn’t even paying attention! Dear Lord! That was Tanaka Yumiko who will be joining us at the Shamicamp this summer??? Holy Moses! Excitement level just went up like 1000% percent for me. For a second there I thought I was just looking at the Craziest & Coolest Shamisen vid I’d ever seen ! But Dear Mother of God! We are all going to be hanging out with her? Oh man! If I had a chance to play, jam, improvise with her that would be too much! I’d probably die right then and there figuring that there would be no point to living any further since nothing could ever top that level of awesome! Wow! Wow! Wow!
Image sitting in a large ring and performing the bachi catapult jutsu to pass on your bachi to the next player. That would be the awesomest. It would probably be best to use plastic ones though
No problem if we save it for the Bachido Taikai on the 28th!
Yes, do not cross saos with practitioners of bachi-jutsu! Like tai chi, shamisen playing might not look like a martial art at all, but beware, should you try and sneak up on apparently unsuspecting shamisen artist, they will use their unagi abilities to sense the approaching danger, perform kata-paruto and you’ll end up with something sharp and heavy between your eyes!
Yatagarasu, will you be blessing us with your presence at ShamiCamp this year?
Actually might have an opportunity this year, if all things go very well… But probably I’ll know only around May or so! It looks like the Shamicamp 2015 is a great opportunity, there hasn’t been anything like this before for Bachido or anyone.
I think the intensive camp is a great idea and helps to make the most of one’s visit to Japan (hopefully other places in the future, too). Even for a beginner it’s a good launch into shamisen, but I suppose it would be most useful to people who have already exhausted the best part of Bachido’s online lessons.
Right now I’m hoping to pick up my first shamisen, excitement is going through the roof and my feelings are something like this:
I don’t know what really to expect, except lots of difficulty and hardship in the beginning 
We’ll see how it goes!
BTW I noticed Uehara-san is actually a nagauta artist! Though in the camp list of instructors he’s given as “minyo” and on another site they said “classical, pop, jazz”. Looks like there is a pretty nice mix of different styles available in this event!
About flights - why not visit Europe while you’re going abroad? From Helsinki a direct flight to Japan is only 10-11 hours and costs as low as 600 eur (around 700 USD) or sometimes even less (EDIT: 600 eur direct was rock bottom price now that I think about it, 600 eur was usually the discount price with a plane switch in copenhagen or so, 800 or less for a direct from Helsinki); at a brief look tickets from Helsinki to US are 700 eur (East Coast) or 800 eur (West Coast) - that was what was available right now just from Finnair.
Ooh ooh! That’s great news! Yeah, this is the first time anything like this will have happened for international shamisen players. Actually, I think this might be the first time in Japan where so many instructors have joined together to teach a group workshop.
Definitely, taking a few lessons at Bachido would only benefit your experience at ShamiCamp. But even if not, I think being surrounded by some many shamisen enthusiasts and skilled instructors, that can be very inspiring and benefit your shamisen journey all the same. After all, inspiration is what really gives us a boost in our progression.
In the beginning, it’s always important to keep one’s expectations low (at least, I’ve found that to be very helpful in my own endeavors), so one doesn’t get discouraged. But once some comfort is obtained and muscle memory kicks in, it’s all uphill from there.
Actually, I originally thought he was a Nagauta player, but Uehara san told me he wanted to be referred to as a Minyo player. I’m sure he could play Nagauta style very well, but Minyo style is probably what he is exceptionally skilled at.
Really?? Wow… in the US, flights are around $1500 round trip. I’m still waiting for them to lower before buying my ticket. Lucky that you can get it so cheap!
Haha! Kyle! I think you mean downhill !
Ah, I guess so! I was stopped at that line for a while, thinking which would be more appropriate. Somehow, the context of “life going downhill” came into mind, so going “uphill” seemed more positive. But yeah, now that you mention it, “downhill” would in fact be more appropriate in this context!
This may be of interest too. Esp. after 7:40 for the bonus footage!
People would not know the difference from a synthesizer!
About flights - why not visit Europe while you’re going abroad? From Helsinki a direct flight to Japan is only 10-11 hours and costs as low as 600 eur (around 700 USD) or sometimes even less (EDIT: 600 eur direct was rock bottom price now that I think about it, 600 eur was usually the discount price with a plane switch in copenhagen or so, 800 or less for a direct from Helsinki)
The list price seems to be 640 eur ATM.
Is there interest in joint travel, or have Bachido members usually done that while in Japan etc? The flight tickets tend to be expensive (unless you live in places like Kamchatka, like some Bachido members apparently do) so it makes sense to stay in Japan a bit longer.
Japan’s basically got everything, and plenty of it, from the tourist’s point of view: mountains, forests, sea, culture, temples, picturesque old towns and buildings, tropical warmth and a real winter, an impressive railway system, cities, even some clean nature, powder for snowboarders… Still you could probably get the most out of it if you group up (for a part of the trip) with somebody who knows some aspects of Japan already.
I’d probably be interested to head for the Kyoto/Kansai or some other area as well, though there are a number of interesting targets for a day trip from Tokyo. Official climbing season on Mt. Fuji starts 1st July. There’s plenty of opportunity for hiking in Japan as well - you can escape the heat and humidity of summer to the Japan Alps etc.
Detailed travel plans are probably best shared by PM.
PS. Considering accomodation, if you have any interest in Japanese culture and traditional housing, I’d highly recommend ryokan - these are the traditional type of japanese inn, and are plenty in all parts of Japan for all I know. They are usually small and basic, the good news is they are on the cheap side (of course very expensive ryokan exist too) and the staff is helpful. There is a guide by the ryokan association, to help us foreigners out with some basics like take off your slippers before stepping on tatami - this is highly recommended but it’s quite simple stuff. Sources like Lonely Planet list accessible ryokan where you can get by just fine with just English (this seems to go for Japan in general, if talking an area with heavy international tourism).
Hey Yatagarasu, I’d be down for a group trek to Fujii! I went once in 2010 and it was really fun, and going as a Bachido attack would be even more awesome! (We can have a group flag, like all the tour groups have :P) I can’t really commit yet, schedule-wise, but I would be interested.
A Bachido group flag would be totally awesome!
i’ll be there! Super excited!
So which hotels or such have you folks booked? Could maybe pick one of those…
I booked the Hasabe Machiya Inn for the duration of ShamiCamp. Seems quite nice. http://www.hasebe.com/hotel/en/
I totally wish I could come to this, I would if I hadn’t used all my days holiday this year. Sad.
One request though, if you do this again (and personally I hope you do it in Japan, maybe somewhere I haven’t been and that is easy to get to from Bermuda? ), any chance of doing it during Winter? Summer in Tokyo is a bit hot for me!
I booked the Hasabe Machiya Inn for the duration of ShamiCamp. Seems quite nice.
Ok will book it for 5 nights. EDIT: booked 6 nights at Hasebe for 1 more day of relaxing in Tokyo.
Is Ninjari Ban Ban on the agenda this year?