Preserve Tsugaru Shamisen | Niya | TEDxSapporo
Niya, a Tsugaru-shamisen player, argues that preserving the traditional instrument requires both promoting its cultural significance domestically and achieving international exposure by blending it with modern genres. She illustrates this by detailing her rigorous apprenticeship and sharing her vision to make traditional Japanese music appealing globally through fusion performances. ## Speakers & Context - **Niya** — A Tsugaru-shamisen player. - **Origin/Background:** Grew up in Yagishiri Island, northern Hokkaido, where she lived from first to third grade of elementary school. - **Education:** Commuted from Yagishiri to Sapporo by bus and boat once a month to attend high school, as there were no high schools on Yagishiri Island. - **Apprenticeship:** Became an apprentice to Toshihiko Sato, a third-generation Tsugaru-shamisen master in Japan. - **Personal Struggle:** Experienced a period in 11th and 12th grade where she hated the shamisen and started skipping lessons without notice. - **Inspiration:** Was deeply moved by her teacher's words: *"Without the shamisen, you are not yourself."* - **Tragedy:** Her master died on stage during a performance in Tokyo due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. ## Theses & Positions - **Humanity over Music:** Being a good human being is more important than the music; lacking good character prevents one from performing or achieving opportunities. - **Cyclical Dependency of Art:** The second important value taught was *"No music without death,"* referencing the animal parts used to construct the instrument. - **Cultural Preservation:** Current opportunities to hear live shamisen music are limited to special events like summer festivals or New Year's. - **Craft Threat:** The craft of professional shamisen craftsmanship is diminishing, with manual production being replaced by machines, which limits the need for craftsmen. - **Modernization Strategy:** To ensure visibility, she plans to collaborate with artists from other genres (fashion shows, brass bands, club house music) and perform overseas to introduce the music to the world. - **National Goal:** To use the international interest in traditional Japanese instruments to draw global attention to Japan, while also making the music more familiar to Japanese people. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Tsugaru-shamisen:** The specific type of traditional shamisen played by Niya. - **Dou:** The body of the shamisen, which is made of dog skin. - **Bachi:** The plectrums used to play the instrument, made from tortoise shell, buffalo horn, and elephant tusk. - **Itomaki:** The tuning pegs, which are made from elephant tusk. - **Folk songs:** Previously served as the background music for daily life in communities, a role now largely replaced. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Learning Process:** Initial exposure via TV in second grade, followed by requesting the instrument from Santa Claus. - **Commuting/Commitment:** Required commuting from Yagishiri Island to Sapporo by bus and boat for lessons while living independently. - **Dedication:** Overcoming a period of disdain for the instrument after being confronted with the importance of the shamisen. - **Instrument Crafting:** The instrument itself requires many animal parts (dog skin for the body, etc.), emphasizing a connection to life cycles. - **Revitalization Strategy:** Merging traditional shamisen with modern genres (East-meets-West fusion) to attract new and younger audiences. ## Named Entities - **Yagishiri Island** — Location where Niya grew up in northern Hokkaido. - **Hokkaido** — Region where Yagishiri Island is located. - **Toshihiko Sato** — Niya's master and a third-generation Tsugaru-shamisen master. - **Sapporo** — City where Niya moved to for high school and lessons. - **Tokyo** — Location where Niya's master died during a performance. - **KENGO beats** — Digital percussion player who joined the performance demonstration. ## Numbers & Data - **Age Group:** Lived in Yagishiri Island from first to third grade of elementary school. - **Years of Absence:** Experienced a period of hatred for the shamisen spanning approximately one and a half years. ## Examples & Cases - **Instrument Source Example:** The *bachi* (plectrums) are made from tortoise shell, buffalo horn, and elephant tusk. - **Body Material Example:** The *dou* (body) is made of dog skin (not cat skin, as many might assume). - **Performance Example:** The group performed *"TO NORTH"* during the demonstration, featuring shamisen and digital percussion. ## Tools, Tech & Products - **Tsugaru-shamisen:** The traditional stringed instrument central to the discussion. - **Digital percussion player:** KENGO beats. ## References Cited - None mentioned. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Live vs. Modern:** Current performance opportunities contrast with the past when folk songs were the constant background music of daily community life. - **Craftsmanship:** Hand-made by craftsmen is contrasted with the increasing use of machines in production. - **Cultural Sphere:** Performance is contrasted between being locally consumed (Japan) versus being marketed internationally (West/Overseas). ## Counterarguments & Caveats - She notes that the perception of Japanese culture is heavily influenced by the West, making the internationalization strategy necessary. ## Methodology - Apprenticeship under a master. - Public performance demonstrations showing fusion potential. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - Focus on spreading folk songs and building a firm base for traditional shamisen music. - Actively collaborate with artists from various genres (fashion shows, brass bands, club house music). - Perform overseas to raise global awareness and bring international attention to Japan's traditional music. - Teach young players to deepen their connection to the music. ## Implications & Consequences - The survival of the Tsugaru-shamisen depends on bridging the gap between traditional, handcrafted artistry and contemporary, technologically integrated genres. - The performance itself is intended to demonstrate the fusion potential of the instrument. ## Verbatim Moments - *"That was how I started."* (Referring to receiving the shamisen as a Christmas gift.) - *"Without the shamisen, you are not yourself."* (The words that influenced her recovery.) - *"No music without death."* (One of the two important values learned from her master.) - *"It is made of dog skin."* (Correcting the assumption about the body material.) - *"These songs were the background music of their daily life."* (Describing the past cultural role of folk music.) - *"We're going to perform 'TO NORTH.'"* (The stated goal of the demonstration.) - *"Japan has heavy influences from the West."* (Her observation on Japanese cultural adoption.) - *"Why not you?"* (This phrase was not present in the transcript, but was included in the template as a potential callback; the actual closing is the fusion performance.)