My music, ten ten music, is the result of me being affected very much by people I know and my cultural tradition. I can’t say my music is traditional Japanese music.

I express natural sounds and space which I believe are more meaningful than techniques or the song itself. When I play the shamisen , I use a different musical scale than the one in the West. It can be strange or boring. The notes sound off-key, and the melody might become lost in a jumble of meaningless notes and words for some ears. But that's me. 

That's my music.

Japanese folk songs often reflect the time and place of their origin. However, they are not dead and dusty relics from the past. Through improvisation, you can make them your own, breathing new life into them, creating a unique and dynamic link which extends through time and space. That's one of the reasons why I love singing them. 

When I first began learning Min'yo, Japanese folk songs, I also took up the shamisen. The shamisen is a versatile instrument which perfectly complements folk sound. It lends itself well to improvisation. Slow and haunting, or fast and furious, it is capable of the same intricacies and emotional depth as the human voice. 

The marriage of the two, a perfect union!

There are three primary tunings for shamisen: HONCHOSHI, NIAGARI and SANSAGRI

本調子：HON CHOSHI

二上り：NIAGARI

三下り：SANSAGARI