VIDEO: A piece of Okinawa culture through sanshin jam session

Dennise and Shoji pose for a photo with sanshin.

(Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa)

Do you know about sanshin? The three-stringed musical instrument of Okinawa looks and sounds like the shamisen of mainland Japan, but this snakeskin-covered Ryukyu instrument has some differences you can learn about in a short workshop at Utwuimuchi-Project in Mihama American Village.

Normally, playing sanshin would require reading kunkunshi, Okinawan notation in kanji, which can be challenging for beginners. However, the workshop offers translated scores in sol-fa syllables for ease of learning.

Add a taste of Ryukyu culture to your time in Okinawa and have a fun jam session at Utwuimuchi-Project.

Denisse plays the sanshin.

(Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa)

Deniise is taking a lesson in sanshin.

(Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa)

Dennise poses for a photo with sanshin.

(Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa)

Some sanshin are lying on the wall.

(Photo by Shoji Kudaka/Stripes Okinawa)

Utwuimuchi-Project

GSP Coordinates: 26.318857, 127.756543

Fees for Sanshin Experience: 3,300 yen (approx. $22) for adult (13 years old and above), 2,200 yen for ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and below.

Website

*For the booking, I searched “Sanshin Experience” on Veltra.

*In addition to its sanshin experience lesson, Utwuimuchi-Project also offers programs such as Ryukyu Dance lesson, taking a walk in a yukata (a casual version of Kimono), sanba (percussion instrument) lesson, and more.