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HISTORY The root is snake skin instrument jabisen from China The root of the sangen, which is often called shamisen, is a three-string musical instrument from China called jabisen. About 400 years ago, the instrument came to Japan through Ryukyu (now Okinawa). Like biwa, sangen gained popularity as accompanying musical instrument. In Ishikawa Prefecture, chaya-machi (geisha districts) such as Higashi, Nishi and Kazue- machi, and also hot-spring resorts helped increase the demands for the instrument. After World War Two, Japanese music such as gidayu, tokiwazu, nagauta, kouta and folk songs became popular among the public, the instrument is indispensable in cultural Ishikawa. CHARACTERISTICS The trinity; material, craftsman and player The best material for sangen is Indian redwood followed by rose wood and Chinese quince. Skin is selected for the best sound effect of the instrument. It takes excellent craftsmanship to manufacture the quality instrument; however, an outstanding player is a must. The trinity of sangen are the material, the craftsman and the player. |