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Wagakki band, a Japanese band that combines traditional Japanese instruments with rock and metal music. The band is famous for its unique instrumentation of incorporating traditional instruments like the koto, shamisen and taiko drums with electronic guitars, basses and drums.

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A Musician Connecting the Shamisen with Contemporary Music Overseas | November 2021 | Highlighting Japan. (2021). Gov-Online.go.jp. https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/html/202111/202111_12_en.html

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Japanese music is a rich and diverse music culture encompassing traditional and modern forms. It started off as traditional Japanese music, which performed at courts, temples and as chants. Over time, Japanese music has been influenced by the Western music that leads into the development of modern Japanese music such as gunka, J-pop, anime music and more.

The characteristics of Japanese music are the incorporating of natural sounds and effects, and breathing rhythms for the melodies. Besides, the use of traditional instruments such as Shamisen and Koto made Japanese music recognisable. Lastly, Japanese music stand out due the concept of 'Ma' (space), where silence is an important musical element too.

In this padlet, we will find out the development and evolution of shamisen in contemporary metal music using Wagakki band as an example.

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Vocals, Piano - Yuko Suzuhana

Koto - Kiyoshi Ibukuro

Shakuhachi - Daisuke Kaminaga

Guitar - "Michiya"

Drums - "Wasabi"

Shamisen - Beni Ninagawa

Bass - "Asa"

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"Kōdōkan", a song performed by Wagakki band, which is also the title of the poem"Kōdōkan ni Baika o Shosu".

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Wagakki Band - 詩吟-弘道館に梅花を賞す (Shigin - Kohdoukan ni Baika o shosu) / Nikko Toshogu Live 2016

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Example of blending Shigin with modern instruments

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Example of blending Shigin with modern instruments

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Watch this video to find out the chemistry between traditional Shigin poetry with Wagakki and modern instruments such as bass.

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Wagakki band’s first song “Tsuki Kage Mai Ka”, where shamisen and bass were primarily featured. Head to 3.03s to find out the shamisen solo section.

At first, the sound of shamisen is hard to capture when all the instruments are played. Until shamisen got a spotlight, listeners are able to clearly hear how a shamisen sounds and what it can do with proper techniques.

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【和楽器バンド】 月・影・舞・華 Tsuki Kage Mai Ka 【BAND EDITION】

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Shamisen adds flavorful taste to the music

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Shamisen adds flavorful taste to the music

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“Ame Nochi Kanjouron”, another music from the Wagakki band. In general, the shamisen blends with the other instruments very well, creating different colour into this music.

Head to 2.24s to find out the magic of shamisen. Beni is indeed a good shamisen player! Playing monophonic tones in a fast tempo, at the same time emphasizing on certain beats, giving the rhythmic pattern. This is not easy at all.

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和楽器バンド / 雨のち感情論

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Blending traditional way of playing the instrument with modern approach of interpretation, their music sounds authentic.

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Tsugaru Shamisen In Front of Mt. Fuji - Ki&KI Tokitsukaze | Japanese Music

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Playing the famous traditional Japanese tune, Sakura Sakura with two shamisen, it sounds delicate. Listen to the variations of this tune in the middle of this video.

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Shamisen Under The Cherry Blossoms [Sakura Original Version] - Ki&Ki 輝&輝 津軽三味線 [4K]

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Shamisen Concerto with Western Orchestra

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Shamisen Concerto with Western Orchestra

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Wonderful music with the combination of western orchestra and solo shamisen! Get ready to be surprised with what the shamisen can do.

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Shamisen Concerto (orchestra version) - Dai FUJIKURA

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Not just Shamisen, there are other traditional Japanese instruments that are in this soundtrack too! Listen to this video to find out the unique sound when two music cultures combines together.

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Realm of Tranquil Eternity：Inazuma Live Symphony Performance | Genshin Impact

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avex. (2018, December 7). 和楽器バンド / 雨のち感情論 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl-ZbTT7mRk

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Chris Hale. (2020, August 10). The Incredible Role of Music in World Culture | Sound Infusion. Soundinfusion.io. https://soundinfusion.io/the-incredible-role-of-music-in-world-culture/

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Dai Fujikura. (2019, September 12). Shamisen Concerto (orchestra version) - Dai FUJIKURA [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O7iumq6OgY

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Genshin Impact. (2021, August 21). Realm of Tranquil Eternity:Inazuma Live Symphony Performance | Genshin Impact [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4bptIoZFDE

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Groemer, G. (2010, July 10). The Rise of “Japanese Music.” Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/260294/The_Rise_of_Japanese_Music_

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Grunebaum, D. (2016, July 3). Wagakki Band - Metropolis Japan. Metropolis Japan. https://metropolisjapan.com/wagakki-band/

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justadminnit. (2015). A Brief Comparison of Korean Gayageum, Chinese Guzheng and Japanese Koto – Wayne Out There. https://wayneoutthere.com/2015/02/17/a-brief-comparison-of-korean-gayageum-chinese-guzheng-and-japanese-koto/

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Robles, J. (2023). Shigin – Asian Art and Architecture. Conncoll.edu. https://diluo.digital.conncoll.edu/Asianart/exhibition/shigin/

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Shamisen in Tokyo. (2022a, March 27). Tsugaru Shamisen in front of Mt. Fuji - Ki&KI Tokitsukaze | Japanese Music [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el_loVyXDSg

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Shamisen in Tokyo. (2022b, April 9). Shamisen Under the Cherry Blossoms [Sakura Original Version] - Ki&Ki 輝&輝 津軽三味線 [4K] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhnmgLR-gJQ

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Shibata, T., & Tanaka, M. (2023). Development of a forearm motion learning-assist system for playing the Japanese shamisen instrument. Entertainment Computing, 46, 100564.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2023.100564

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Traditional Japanese Music - Koto - Virtual Culture - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan. (n.d.). Web-Japan.org. https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/koto/koto01.html

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Wadaiko: Japanese Drums Thundering & Dramatic Performance 1 - What’s Cool - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan. (n.d.). Web-Japan.org. https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/cool/12-12-25/index.html

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What’s Tsugaru Shamisen? (1) - Tsugaru Shamisen - Meet the Kids - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan. (n.d.). https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/meet/shamisen/shamisen01.html

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Yamano, Y. (2024, March 20). Shakuhachi: A Traditional Japanese Musical Instrument with a Spiritual Side. Seattle Japanese Garden. https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/2024/3/20/shakuhachi

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鈴華ゆう子. (2012, November 12). 【和楽器バンド】 月・影・舞・華 Tsuki Kage Mai Ka 【BAND EDITION】 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrSg3_OpR0Y

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Derived from the Chinese instrument sanxian, the shamisen, also known as sangen, is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument. After the shamisen came to Japan from China during the Ryukyu Kingdom, people in Japan started to experiment and develop their own styles of playing.

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The shamisen, is made of a neck, body and three strings.

The neck is long, slender and fretless like a violin. Whereas the body is a hollow, drum-like structure and typically made with animal skin. Lastly, the strings were made with nylon that are stretched over the body.

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The shamisen is played using a plectrum called bachi. Bachi is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum the stringed instruments such as shamisen and biwa. In another context, bachi also refers to the sticks that used to hit the taiko drums.

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According to Traditional Japanese Music - Koto - Virtual Culture - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan (n.d.), koto is a large, rounded wooden instrument with 13 strings. The pitch of the strings can be adjusted through movable bridges placed under each string (ji), and is played with picks (tsume).

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The Last Rose of Summer (on Koto) - performed by Tokiko Kimura

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Shakuhachi is a vertical, longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made from bamboo. From Yamano (2024), shakuhachi was derived from Chinese bamboo flute (xiao) during the Nara period (710-94 CE).

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尺八 SHAKUHACHI flute - Rodrigo Rodriguez - contemporary Japanese music

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The taiko or wadaiko, is a Japanese percussion instrument that sounds like thunder when being hit. Taiko are played with long wooden sticks called bachi. In ancient Japan, taiko was used to signal soldiers on the battlefield.

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The Beat of Life | Wai Taiko Japanese Drummers | TEDxRuakura

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By doing the research on shamisen and Wagakki band, I feel amazed by what music can contribute to society. In Japan, music does not just serve as entertainment; it brings Japanese people closer together. As Hale (2020) says, music serves as an incredible role in most of our lives because music not only helps us in expressing our ideas and emotions, but it also builds a bridge that connects people from different cultures. Wagakki band indeed pulls people from the world closer by performing songs with fusion of traditional Japanese instrumentation and modern elements. By posting their performances online on YouTube, they not only gained global recognition but also expanded a mindset in Japan that traditional instruments can blend with modern genres too. From Grunebaum (2016), some traditional sensei initially felt resentful towards their music, but eventually they started to understand their way of approaching music instead of the straightforward traditional style.

All in all, I managed to get a closer look and understanding of the traditional Japanese instruments, mainly on shamisen. By discovering its history and its evolution, I am truly impressed with shamisen players. Just like other instruments, mastering the techniques requires years of training. Not only that, but it requires high musicianship and understanding of their own culture to achieve the authentic tone of the instrument. Wagakki band shows me that it is possible to create a unique sound with the mixture of traditional and modern elements.

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In the Edo period (1603-1868), the shamisen was used as background music for kabuki theatre. As the shamisen became more popular, it evolved into one of the most important instruments in Japan’s classical music (What’s Tsugaru Shamisen? (1), n.d).

In modern genres, shamisen no long been played in the traditional plucking and strumming way. Occasionally, some player uses violin bow to play the shamisen to create a different sound. Sometimes, the shamisen is plucked with fingers too.