Thanks that helped alot. do you have to go to a special place to her people play that in japan?

Yes, so special that I don't even know where!! I'd say small live houses. You know that 'regular' rock bands are far more popular here, so ironically it's pretty difficult to hear live traditional Japanese music in Japan.

The best place would of course be Aomori, the home of Tsugaru Jamisen. They seem to have many competitions at all levels. I saw one on TV many years ago, and it blew my mind. You saw low teenagers with all those techniques there!

I sadly live in Tokyo, which is an hour-and-a-half-long flight away from Aomori.

Oh ok i see. but i bet tokyo could be a beautiful site when the sun goes down. so it is basically not that popular anymore then ?

Right. That's the case at least among the younger generations, which is a shame.

ok i would have to agree with you there and i think it would be awesome if teens would play because it is a shame to see something like that go to waste

I forgot to mention this earlier.

The most influential of the men who developed this playing style was named Takahashi Chikuzan (1910 - 1998). Amazingly, he was a blind man.

And he was blind? Well, that certainly is...impressive xD

Yes, Ma'am. Too bad there's no video of him playing on Youtube. He toured the U.S. in 1986 and the New York Times called him 'the soul detector'.

wow that is amazing :vsign:

I just couldn't help but smile when I saw this thread ^__^ I'm actually doing my paper for World Music on the types of music involved with the shamisen :)

it is quite a wonderful instrument n__n