If you hear the sound of a shamisen in Japan, the chances are high that the instrument began life in a workshop in western Tokyo. The Tokyo Wagakki company has a history going back 135 years and ...

The Tsugaru shamisen is a traditional Japanese string instrument characterized by its dynamic sound, produced by striking the strings with a bachi or plectrum. Born of the hot summers and whiteout ...

Noriko Tadano, an Adelaide-based Japanese shamisen (Japanese three stringed traditional instrument) artist, will perform for OzAsia and Anime GO! in Adelaide this month. Ms. Tadano moved to ...

But there’s more to the instrument than its status as a symbol ... and the three-stringed shamisen. Most modern shakuhachis have five tuning holes, with four in the front and one on the rear ...