QINGTONGSHAN - A TRADITION NEAR EXTINCTION

 Can we preserve the tradition of "Qingtongshan"?

THE SHAMISEN INDUSTRY AT THE BEND

The shamisen industry, which is indispensable for Japan traditional performing arts such as kabuki and dance, is reaching a turning point. This is because it is difficult to secure cat skin for the torso, and the number of lovers is decreasing. With the headwinds of the new coronavirus pandemic blowing, will the tone of "Qingtongshan" be preserved?

Windy to use cat skin

Kotaro Tanaka, 64, representative of Isamiya Japanese Musical Instrument Store in Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture, who has been involved in shamisen skinning since the late 1970s, says, "The uneven thickness of animal skin creates a thickness in the sound. However, due to the backlash of cat lovers, the supply decreased, and in the 80s, they began to rely on imported cat skins. Supply has also decreased and prices have soared. At one point, they substituted the skins of dogs from Southeast Asia, but this also became difficult to obtain from the viewpoint of animal welfare.

With artificial skins, the sound tends to be monotonous, and professional musicians tend to shy away from it at stage performances and concerts. In 2021, a shamisen performance using Japanese paper instead of animal skin was held in Kyoto, and the industry has been making efforts.

According to Masayuki Manabe, a professor of modern history Japan at Waseda University's Faculty of Letters, who studies the history of the relationship between animals and humans, there was not as much notion of animal welfare as there is now in the Edo and Meiji periods, and some people ate cats during and after the war when there was a food shortage. After high economic growth, society as a whole became prosperous, and in '73, the Animal Welfare Law was enacted to prohibit cruelty. He points out that around this time, "domestic cats also came to be valued as members of the family, and with the establishment of a 'victims' association' for cat catchers, the use of shamisen cat skin became stronger."

SHAMISEN - A THREE STRINGED TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT OF JAPAN

Fewer enthusiasts, catching up with the corona disaster

The shamisen market is also shrinking. According to the National Federation of Japanese Musical Instrument Associations (Zenhoren), the number of shamisen manufactured in Japan was 18,000 in '70, but decreased to 3,400 in '17. In addition to hobbies, the number of people who use it for work, such as performing at tea shops, has decreased. Then, 2 years ago, the new coronavirus became prevalent, and concerts and stage performances were canceled one after another.

In response to the difficulties of the shamisen, the Agency for Cultural Affairs began a project to support clubs and circles that engage in Japanese music at high schools and universities in FY21. In addition to lending shamisen and other items free of charge to eligible organizations, professional musicians are dispatched to teach and support the venue costs for students' performance recitals.

Misa Tabe, 23, of Tokiwatsu Department, a student at Kyoto City University of Arts, one of the target organizations, smiles, saying, "I'm happy to be able to feel so close to the instruments used in the Edo period, and I like the sound of the shamisen that spreads deep in my heart, and I want to continue it after graduation." His advisor, Professor Yuichi Takeuchi of Japan Music History, says, "I am grateful for the project, and there are students who are making use of [Japanese music] in their own specialized fields." Keita Koyasu, former president of the Japan Zenhoren, hopes that "the shamisen culture will take root in the long term, not short-term support."

Crucifixion, torso, and support for the succession of production technology by the government

Furthermore, in 21, the production technology of the shamisen and the body was selected as a "selective preservation technology" to support the transmission of culture. Junko Yoshida, Chief Cultural Property Researcher of the Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Properties Division 1, said, "The shamisen, which is the core of Japanese musical instruments, is important for the inheritance of traditional performing arts, and the coronavirus pandemic hit the shamisen industry and the crisis (of the disruption of craftsmanship) increased, so the response was urgent."

As for the problem of the lack of cat skin in the body of the shamisen, kangaroo skin, which is regarded as a problem in Australia, is attracting attention as an alternative. Mr. Tanaka of Isamiya Japanese Musical Instrument Store says, "The tone of musical instruments changes with the times and may take root as a new culture, but we will continue our research without relying on animal skins. I want you to know the charm of the shamisen, which can express everything from powerful sounds to delicate and moist sounds."