The shamisen is the most versatile and popular traditional instrument in Japan. This three-stringed banjo-like instrument is descended from the san-hsien, a three-stringed lute appearing in China during the Yuan dynasty (13th century). Exported to the Ryuku Islands in 1392, the san-hsien was modified to become the smaller, more oval-bodied samisen, which found its way to the port of Sakai near Osaka around 1562. This instrument evolved into what is now known as the shamisen.
The Japanese made several improvements. They replaced the original snakeskin heads with thinner cat or dog skin. These were stronger and more sensitive to subtle plucking techniques, producing a clearer, brighter tone. Instead of the Ryuku samisen's single piece of hollowed out wood, the body was composed of four concave boards, carved on the inside with tone-enhancing patterns called ayasugi. Striking the strings with the kind of large wooden plectrum used by biwa (lute) players also greatly improved the tone and produced the distinctive drum-like snap of the plectrum hitting the skin just after it plucks the string.
Shamisen players and makers strive to get the right tension on the lowest string to produce sawari, an effect considered essential to a good shamisen tone. Sawari is an overtone with a slight buzzing noise one hears whenever the lowest string is struck. To get sawari, a niche is carved in the neck of the instrument just below the peg head. The two upper strings rest on a metal bridge, while the lowest string vibrates against both sides of the niche, producing the overtones.
Shamisen music developed during the Edo period (1603-1867) among the merchants and artisans, who with the peasants made up the lower class of feudal society. It is integral to many types of folk music, and to music for the bunraku and kabuki theaters.
*GIDAYU
*JORURI
The term gidayu has become interchangeable with joruri. It is a form of chanted narrative with shamisen accompaniment and is the most important type of shamisen music. Komoryu Takemoto says that there are three major elements of gidayu. First, ninjo, which is sympathy. Second, giri, a kind of Mafia-like sense of obligation to return favors and avenge wrongs. Third, chugi, or loyalty.
*THE SONG
The song is a narrative drama concerning the historical incident known as "Mitsuhide's Three-day Reign". This was the famous coup d'etat attempt by Akechi Mitsuhide, a samurai warlord who sought to overthrow his master, the shogun Oda Nobunaga. A bloody battle ensues; hopelessly outnumbered, Nobunaga disembowels himself. As the popular name of this incident suggests, Mitsuhide's success was short-lived. He was eventually killed by Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The song itself is a sung narrative, including the sung dialog of characters in the story.
*JORURI BOOK
Mrs. Miyagawa comments:
"This is a joruri book. It contains stories for the bunraku puppet theater, which are sung and accompanied by shamisen. There are many kinds of stories, dealing with love, war, etc. My father-in-law's friend used to copy joruri books by hand--many joruri books were written by hand, but I don't know if this one was hand-copied by him. It was probably printed."
*NATIONAL THEATER
Komoryu Takemoto plays at the National Theater in Tokyo, not to make money, but just for the experience. She earns her living by teaching and takes students at home, teaching both singing and shamisen. Six or seven times a month she teaches a gidayu class for adults which lasts for three months.
*SHIGERU AS A BOY HOLDING A SHAMISEN
Shigeru holds a samisen with the help of Koshikoma Takemoto. This was not her real name, but her stage name, and she was a narrator of bunraku and shamisen player. She taught joruri (also referred to as gidayu ) to both of Shigeru's paternal grandparents. Komoryu Takemoto, a student of Koshikoma Takemoto's, succeeded her after her death and adopted her stage name Takemoto.
*SHAKUHACHI
A simple, end-blown flute made of a bamboo stalk
*KOTO
A horizontal plucked string instrument.
*STAGE NAME
Stage names are often used by musicians and other performing artists in Japan. When a master dies, the stage name is passed on to an outstanding student. Many stage names have been passed down for centuries, through several generations.
*SOTARO KOBAYASHI
Sotaro Kobayashi was my boyhood best friend. A fellow art student, he has since become a commercial artist.
*KOMORYU TAKEMOTO
Shamisen player and gidayu singer interviewed by Shigeru in the video.
