Sanshin
Jul. 12, 2025
My second musical instrument is sanshin. ‘Sanshin’ means ‘Three strings’. However, my sanshin is called “Kankara Sanshin,” which means a sanshin made from a can.
The real sanshin is a much more beautiful instrument, and I think the sound it produces is probably louder and more beautiful. It’s played with a unique pick, but since I don’t have one, I play it with my thumbnail. (Wikipedia; Sanshin↗)
It’s a popular instrument in Okinawa – the southwestern islands of Japan – , but rarely played in Tokyo. It is an instrument played while singing, and the song is the main focus, but the lyrics are in the Okinawan ancient dialect, so it is difficult for people in Tokyo to memorize them, and we cannot pronounce them correctly. The scales and rhythms are also different from other regions of Japan, and above all, the sense of singing is different, so even if I try to imitate them, I can’t sing like a native of Okinawa.
I can’t sing well, but playing the sanshin is still fun. ‘Akayama’ below is a comical song about a conversation between young lovers. (My voice isn’t very strong, but it can’t be helped for my age 65.)
Akayama ⇒ Lyrics↗
Sanshin can be also a complete solo instrument. I learnt that the three essential elements of music are melody, rhythm, and harmony, but this is for ‘Western’ music. Japanese original music doesn’t have the concept of harmony. As performance above, all elements are completed by playing the main melody with the voice and the sub melody and rhythm with the sanshin. Very compact!
The instrument is also compact, so it’s nice in hot summer days. Holding the large body of the guitar on a hot day is a bit of a pain.
But, since it is made of metal, the edge of the can hurts my arm, and the body is slippery, so I have attached a pad and wrapped a rope around it.
By the way, this sanshin was made by my son in a hands-on class when he went to Okinawa on a school trip.
He liked making it but wasn’t interested in playing, so he gave it to me. I looked for sanshin scores on the net, and the first song I sang was ‘Naakunii’ below. This song is about the memory of a lover who can no longer be seen. The song was so beautiful that I decided to continue playing sanshin.
Naakunii ⇒ Lyrics↗
After I learned a few songs, I considered buying a real sanshin, but decided against it. The kankara- sanshin was born 80 years ago, after Okinawa suffered heavy casualties in the war. There was a shortage of supplies, but they needed singing to bring their spirit back. Once I heard that, the kankara-sanshin was no longer a toy for me.
Even today in Okinawa, children use the kankara-sanshin for practice, and since I’m not a very good singer, this is a good balance.