Sanshin Experience · Sounds of the Ryukyu Islands
Price
Pending
Duration
90 mins
Sanshin Experience · Sounds of the Ryukyu Islands
Let your first note lead you into the world of Ryukyuan music.
The sanshin is one of Okinawa’s most iconic traditional instruments. Its distinctive, warm sound has been passed down from the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, becoming an enduring part of the islands’ traditional music, celebrations and everyday culture.
This 90-minute hands-on Sanshin Experience is designed anyone discovering the instrument for the first time. No musical experience is necessary. Guided by your instructor, you will begin by getting to know the sanshin before picking up the instrument yourself and learning basic holding positions, fingering, plucking and playing techniques.
This is more than a music lesson. It is an opportunity to experience Okinawan culture through the simple pleasure of playing its traditional instrument yourself.
In a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, you will gradually become familiar with the sounds and rhythms of the sanshin, bringing simple techniques together to create a melody. The aim is not how much you can master in a single lesson, but to enjoy the experience of holding the instrument in your hands and discovering the character of Ryukyuan music through sound, rhythm and touch.
Don't just listen to the sounds of Okinawa — experience the joy of playing them yourself.
About Your Instructor
Satsuki Agena is an Okinawa-born sanshin instructor and performer.
She began learning the sanshin at the age of eight and went on to formally study Ryukyuan classical music from high school. After spending much of her twenties in Canada, she returned to Okinawa and has been working independently since 2019, with sanshin lessons at the heart of her activities.
For Satsuki, the sanshin is also a personal heritage passed down through her grandparents and family. While respecting its traditions, she continues to explore new possibilities for the instrument and ways of sharing Okinawan culture with a wider world.
Her achievements include receiving the Grand Prix in the Sanshin Division of the 2019 Okinawa Times Traditional Performing Arts Selection, and she holds a teaching qualification from the Nomura-ryu Classical Music Preservation Society. She has also travelled to Canada as a sanshin instructor for an Okinawan cultural arts programme.
Her Okinawan roots and years of international experience bring a distinctive perspective to her teaching — connecting tradition with the present, and the local culture of Okinawa with people from around the world.
The Experience
Introduction to the sanshin and its basic characteristics
Learn how to hold the instrument
Basic fingering and plucking techniques
Practice fundamental sanshin playing techniques
Progress from simple notes and rhythms towards a melody
Play the sanshin yourself with guidance from your instructor
Duration: 90 minutesLanguages: English / JapaneseLevel: Beginner-friendly — no previous musical or sanshin experience requiredFormat: Small-group hands-on class (2–8 participants)