The Spirit of Japan: A Collection of Famous and Popular Shamisen Pieces
The shamisen is the quintessential traditional Japanese instrument.
Of course, it’s used to perform classic pieces, but it’s also a highly versatile instrument that shines in solo performances of intense songs and in collaborations with rock bands—traditional yet packed with showmanship.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of songs that feature the shamisen.
We’ve included everything from older works to the latest tracks!
If you’re thinking about starting the shamisen, you might find this helpful—so be sure to read to the end!
- Spirit of Wa: Masterpieces for the Koto — Japan’s Beautiful Melodies
- A Collection of Moving Shakuhachi Masterpieces | Beautiful Japanese Melodies That Stir the Heart
- [Songs of Aomori] A collection of local songs depicting the grandeur of nature and the warmth of its people.
- The soul’s cry woven into Japanese elegies: unraveling supreme masterpieces that resonate with the heart.
- [Hometown Songs] A curated selection of popular Japanese tracks that fill your heart with nostalgia
- [Song of Osaka] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes
- [Local Songs] Recommended tracks packed with Japan’s nationwide classics and hometown pride
- [Let's Enjoy Japanese Festival Songs!] Songs about festivals. Famous songs related to festivals.
- A classic song that celebrates Niigata. The enduring spirit of our hometown passed down through song.
- [Kyoto Songs] Masterpieces that sing about Kyoto — songs themed on the ancient capital. The enduring heart of our hometown passed down in song.
- [Latest & Classic] Popular! Collection of Japanese-style Vocaloid Songs
- Japanese sign-language songs; sign-language song(s)
- Traditional Japanese Music: Famous Pieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Traditional Japanese Music
[The Spirit of Japan] Shamisen Masterpieces and Popular Songs (1–10)
Sweet EsquivaYutaka Koyama meets Yusuke Shima
A track from the session-style collaborative work “Yutaka Oyama meets Yusuke Shima,” featuring Yutaka Oyama, the third-generation head of the Oyama school of Tsugaru shamisen, and trumpeter Yusuke Shima.
It’s a miraculous fusion of jazz and traditional Japanese instruments.
I’ve often heard that it’s extremely difficult for traditional Japanese instruments to adapt to the distinctive rhythms of Western music, but Oyama’s shamisen arrangement is truly masterful.
Far from feeling any mismatch, I find myself so absorbed that I start to think this might be the original way Tsugaru shamisen was meant to be played!
Yosakoi BushiA trial performance by Sansui-en
A folk song handed down in Kochi Prefecture.
It is known by the title “Yosakoi-bushi,” taken from the final chant-like refrain, but both the origin of that refrain and of the song itself are unknown, and its history has not been pinpointed—making it a piece with surprisingly many mysteries.
On top of that, many lyrics spread and took root as improvised verses, giving the song an intriguing allure that becomes more elusive the more you learn about it.
With deep roots as an ozashiki song, it is often sung with only shamisen accompaniment, and even with such a simple backing, it can fully evoke the proper atmosphere as a folk song.
Akita Nikata-bushiHana Wa Chie
“Akita Nikata-bushi” is a renowned Akita folk song distinguished by its delicate, rhythmically articulated high tones.
The performer, Chie Hanawa, is a formidable talent who, at the age of 17, became the youngest champion at the 2000 All-Japan Tsugaru Shamisen Competition.
While still a student at a music university, she made her album debut, and has since been active in a wide range of settings, including a command performance at the Imperial Palace, overseas concerts, and ensemble projects with shakuhachi and violin.
[The Spirit of Japan] Shamisen Masterpieces and Popular Songs (11–20)
Thirteen SandhillsMichiya Mihashi
This piece has a long history: it was composed in the mid-Edo period and was originally a boatman’s song.
The current shamisen arrangement took shape thanks to the performance by Takahashi Chikuzan, a master of the Tsugaru shamisen.
The piece also makes frequent use of semitones, which are not commonly played on the Tsugaru shamisen.
Performances by Michiya Mihashi—both a singer and Tsugaru shamisen player—also contributed to the present-day version of “Jūsanshi no Sunayama.” Because it is relatively easy, beginners or those who want to learn the shamisen might consider starting with this piece.
horizonKoji Nagamura
“Horizon” was selected as the theme song for an Ishikawa TV special event program.
With band accompaniment, it’s an upbeat piece that deftly expresses both stillness and motion.
It brilliantly embodies the evolving yet tradition-respecting culture of Ishikawa Prefecture, as well as the event’s festive spirit.
The performer, Koji Nagamura—also a member of the Tsugaru shamisen ensemble Shippu—is a highly skilled musician.
ZERO TO ONEKUNI-KEN
KUNI-KEN is a Tsugaru shamisen rock duo known for their intensely hard-hitting, cool sound, composed of brothers KUNIAKI (older) and KENJI (younger).
Released to mark their 15th anniversary, ZERO TO ONE is an exhilarating track whose driving momentum is powered by the thunderous resonance of the shamisen.
Rōkyoku: Farewell on Nanbusaka in the SnowHaruo Minami (spoken performance)
Rōkyoku, along with rakugo and kōdan, is regarded as one of Japan’s three major narrative performing arts, and it tells stories through melody and spoken narration.
The shamisen is mainly used as accompaniment where there is melody, and its timbre is also an essential element of rōkyoku.
This piece is a scene from Chūshingura, one of the most popular episodes.
It portrays the farewell between Ōishi Kuranosuke and Yōzen’in, expressing the painful emotions of parting while concealing their true feelings.
With the shamisen accompaniment, one can sense Kuranosuke’s state of mind and the atmosphere of the scene.