A Shamisen is an instrument that produces sound by hitting three strings which are woven from silk. A Kokyu is an instrument that produces sound by rubbing three strings which are woven from silk with a horsehair bow, much like a violin.
We are a speciality shop of these Japanese traditional instruments from ancient times. We have a huge selection of them from new to second hand, and also lesson programs on how to play them. Also, we have developed original instruments for beginners based on traditional ones.
We propose a new way to enjoy playing shamisen and kokyu to suit the modern lifestyle.
Let's enjoy Japanese tradition and the sounds created by three strings!!
Shamisen
A shamisen makes a variety of sounds by hitting three strings which are woven from silk, sometimes hard and sometimes soft.
It was popular in the Edo Era, which lasted for nearly 300 years from the 17th century. After that, a new style of playing shamisen called Tsugaru-shamisen was born. Although a shamisen is a traditional musical instrument, it continues to change with the times and regions.
Nowadays, the number of ways a shamisen can be used is expanding to many areas such as rock bands (`Wagakki-Band`) and also anime and comics.
Itone independently developed it for beginners who want to play shamisen.
The body is made from paulownia wood used for making Koto, which is an old Japanese instrument, and the neck is made from pine wood. Instead of animal skins, it uses synthetic skins for the body. Yet the sound is reminiscent of the traditional Shamisen. You don't need to do any difficult maintenance, so you can enjoy playing shamisen more easily.
This is new style wagakki which has all the functions of a shamisen.
Kokyu
A Kokyu is a Japanese traditional stringed instrument that produces sound by rubbing three strings which are woven from silk with a horsehair bow. Although the size is smaller than a shamisen, it has a strong presence and huge volume of sound. It has long been passed down in Japan, much like the Japanese flute and bamboo flute. Kokyu has a long history, comparable to the violin from Europe and Niko from China, but the strings are made from silk not metal, giving it its characteristic sound.
Itone developed an original instrument for people who want to start playing a kokyu. Its body and neck are cedar wood, and it uses thinly shaved cedar wood instead of animal skins.
The two types of Forest Kokyu are light, easy to handle, and a reasonable price.
This is a new type of Wagakki (Japanese musical instrument) that is perfect for modern lifestyles.
These links will take you to the sites of Rakuya Inc. which run Itone Japan.
