Shamisen Strings on Japanese TV

General
#1

Hello! This is my first post, and I hope this section is right place to put this.

I was recently invited to Japan to see how shamisen strings are made in Shiga prefecture, and the experience was featured on Japanese TV. I thought that maybe you all would like to see how they still make the silk strings by hand at Marusan Hashimoto. I also got to do some other interesting shamisen-related things, so please watch if you are interested!

The episode is here: https://youtu.be/RB0CSJFDq6E?t=10m26s

Much of the process was not featured in the program, so if you want to know more, please let me know!

#2

Cool! And now I’m not the only Shamisen player in Tennessee! (Just the only kokyu player. Ha!)

#3

I’m glad to see someone else in TN as well!

#4

I’m going to be in Japan in less than a week. One of the hotels we’ll be at is around the corner from a shop that specializes in strings. Additionally to the yellow color, they dye their strings in other colors, as well. So I plan to walk over there at some point and buy some fun colored strings for my instruments. :slight_smile:

#5

http://www.tobaya.co.jp/

#6

Very cool! I hope you share some pictures!

#7

Gonna try to do some video, too! If you dig down and find my Kokyu thread, you’ll see another cool opportunity I have with an antique kokyu in Osaka.

#8

Jackie, this is awesome!

I was looking at you and I thought: Wow, we almost looks like twins…

Your keigo is better than mine. I was impressed, mostly because you said you never went to Japan before this video.

At the end I recognized this Shamisen Izakya because we went there with Shamicamp instructors but you got the most famous of all. And the shop in Asakusa is where I bought my first bachi and I met Jamie Low and Norm Nakamura who told me about Bachido.

We really have lots of common points. Even the first letter of our names… :wink:

#9

Thank you, Jacinthe! It’s funny that you say that we look like twins, because I agree! But I actually have a twin sister, so you’d have to be a triplet then!!

I really hadn’t been to Japan prior to this, so I don’t think so highly of my language skills. I fortunately have many Japanese friends locally, and they do help me out. :wink:

#10

That was really cool! Thanks for sharing!

I used to live in Nagahama and I didn’t even realize that Marusan was there until I moved back to the States! I feel like such an idiot that I’ve been using their strings for years and never went to go visit.

#11

Just saying but if there us a Shamicamp in Japan next year, I could go there to visit and I wouldn’t mind having one or few people to accompany me…

#12

What a cool experience! I also have a twin, Jackie. :slight_smile:

So I noticed that you take lessons via Skype…so do I. My sensei is in Tacoma, WA and I am in Huntsville, AL. I’m so glad there are teachers willing to teach via Skype or else I don’t know what I would do.

© 2020 Kyle Abbott