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CHINA-LIAONING-YINGKOU-DONGBEI DAGU-INHERITOR (CN)

(240204) -- YINGKOU, Feb. 4, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yanjuan plays sanxian, a three-stringed instrument, at home in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 1, 2024. "Dongbei Dagu," a folk art of drum music and recitative, is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. Wang Yanjuan, an inheritor of the folk art, performed three hours at a folk custom fair in Bayuquan District of Yingkou City during Chinese Xiaonian Festival. The festival, also known as the Kitchen God Festival, fell on Feb. 2 this year in northern China. Deeply influenced by her father since childhood, Wang has devoted herself to passing on the cultural heritage of "Dongbei Dagu" by cherishing the traditions and tapping the innovative potentials. To better promote the art, Wang has performed where she is needed full of enthusiasm, including fields, stages, schools and shopping malls. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

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Event in Beijing to promote Japan-bound trips

A man plays the "sanshin" three-stringed traditional instrument from Japan's Okinawa Prefecture during an event held at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on March 31, 2023, to promote tourism to Japan. The number of Chinese visitors to Japan has plunged in the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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'Bunraku' puppet masters to give special show in Osaka

OSAKA, Japan - "Bunraku" (puppet theater) chant master Toyotake Nozomidayu (L) poses with puppet masters and a "shamisen" (three-stringed guitar) player during a press conference held in Osaka on Dec. 24, 2014, to announce a special Bunraku performance to be staged in the western Japan city in February 2015.

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Largest ensemble of shamisen performers

TOKYO, Japan - More than 1,000 performers of "Tsugaru shamisen," a type of music played with the shamisen three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument, gather at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Oct. 25, 2014, to set a world record for the largest shamisen ensemble. Under the eye of staff from Guinness World Records Japan, they set a record when 1,124 performers played together. According to Guinness World Records, the previous world record in the category was set in 1999 at Tokyo Dome when 815 shamisen players performed together.

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Largest ensemble of shamisen performers

TOKYO, Japan - More than 1,000 performers of "Tsugaru shamisen," a type of music played with the shamisen three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument, gather at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Oct. 25, 2014, to set a world record for the largest shamisen ensemble. Under the eye of staff from Guinness World Records Japan, they set a record when 1,124 performers played together. According to Guinness World Records, the previous world record in the category was set in 1999 at Tokyo Dome when 815 shamisen players performed together.

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Largest ensemble of shamisen performers

TOKYO, Japan - More than 1,000 performers of "Tsugaru shamisen," a type of music played with the shamisen three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument, gather at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Oct. 25, 2014, to set a world record for the largest shamisen ensemble. Under the eye of staff from Guinness World Records Japan, they set a record when 1,124 performers played together. According to Guinness World Records, the previous world record in the category was set in 1999 at Tokyo Dome when 815 shamisen players performed together.

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Traditional dance event in Toyama

TOYAMA, Japan - People dance to the sound of instruments including the ''kokyu,'' a traditional Japanese fiddle that originated in China, and the ''shamisen,'' a three-stringed Japanese instrument played with a plectrum, on Sept. 1, 2011, during the traditional ''Owarakazenobon'' dance event held annually during the typhoon season in the city of Toyama to pray for good harvests. The event will continue through Sept. 3.

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Traditional dance event in Toyama

TOYAMA, Japan - Women dance to the sound of instruments including the ''kokyu,'' a traditional Japanese fiddle that originated in China, and the ''shamisen,'' a three-stringed Japanese instrument played with a plectrum, on Sept. 1, 2011, during the traditional ''Owarakazenobon'' dance event held annually during the typhoon season in the city of Toyama to pray for good harvests. The event will continue through Sept. 3.

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Japan-S. Korea festival in Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea - Students of Goshogawara Daiichi High School in Aomori Prefecture play Tsugaru shamisen, traditional three-stringed instruments from the prefecture, at the ''Nikkan Koryu Omatsuri'' (Japan-South Korean Exchange Festival) in Seoul on Oct. 2, 2010.

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(2)Japan Week celebrated at Aichi Expo

NAGAKUTE, Japan - Shamisen (three-stringed banjo) players give a performance with a Katsushika Hokusai ukiyo-e in the background as part of events to mark Japan Week at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture on June 7.

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Traditional Japanese music gaining popularity

TOKYO, Japan - Musical duo Yoshida Brothers -- Ryoichi (L) and Kenichi -- play the Tsugaru shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese banjo, during a recent performance at the French Embassy in Tokyo. The brothers, who dress in traditional ceremonial attire when performing, are rising stars in the traditional Japanese music scene.

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Maiko at Kabuki theater in Kyoto

Japanese "maiko" traditional professional entertainers (L) visit Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto to watch a Kabuki performance on Dec. 5, 2022. It is a year-end custom for them to watch the show to improve their traditional shamisen three-stringed instrument and dancing skills.

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Maiko at Kabuki theater in Kyoto

Japanese "maiko" traditional professional entertainers visit Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto to watch a Kabuki performance on Dec. 5, 2022. It is a year-end custom for them to watch the show to improve their traditional shamisen three-stringed instrument and dancing skills.

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Maiko at Kabuki theater in Kyoto

Japanese "maiko" traditional professional entertainers visit Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto to watch a Kabuki performance on Dec. 5, 2022. It is a year-end custom for them to watch the show to improve their traditional shamisen three-stringed instrument and dancing skills.

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Maiko at Kabuki theater in Kyoto

Japanese "maiko" traditional professional entertainers visit Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto, western Japan, to watch a Kabuki performance on Dec. 5, 2022. It is a year-end custom for them to watch the show to improve their traditional shamisen three-stringed instrument and dancing skills.

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Japan-S. Korea exchange festival in Seoul

Musicians play Tsugaru shamisen, a traditional three-stringed musical instrument deriving from Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, at the annual Japan-South Korea exchange festival in Seoul on Sept. 25, 2022.

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Chinese "pingtan" musical storytelling team plays in west Japan city

Members of the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe perform in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on April 23, 2015. Pingtan is a traditional Chinese performing art combining the play of three-stringed musical instruments and storytelling. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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FEATURE: Shamisen faces crisis head-on as cat skins fall from favor

A woman plays a shamisen during a performance of the "Nagauta Samon-kai" at Uchisaiwaicho Hall in Tokyo on Dec. 16, 2016. The three-stringed instrument is facing a crisis amid a backlash over its use of cat and dog skins to cover its body and a decline in craftsmen able to carry on its manufacturing traditions. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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FEATURE: Shamisen faces crisis head-on as cat skins fall from favor

Sakichi Kineya (2nd from R) plays the shamisen during a performance of the "Nagauta Samon-kai" on Dec. 16, 2016. The three-stringed instrument is facing a crisis amid a backlash over its use of cat and dog skins to cover its body and a decline in craftsmen able to carry on its manufacturing traditions. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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FEATURE: Shamisen faces crisis head-on as cat skins fall from favor

A man plays a shamisen during a performance of the "Nagauta Samon-kai" at Uchisaiwaicho Hall in Tokyo on Dec. 16, 2016. The three-stringed instrument is facing a crisis amid a backlash over its use of cat and dog skins to cover its body and a decline in craftsmen able to carry on its manufacturing traditions. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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FEATURE: Shamisen faces crisis head-on as cat skins fall from favor

Shamisen players from the "Nagauta samon-kai" troupe perform at Uchisaiwaicho Hall in Tokyo on Dec. 16, 2016. The three-stringed instrument is facing a crisis amid a backlash over its use of cat and dog skins to cover its body and a decline in craftsmen able to carry on its manufacturing traditions. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Traditional Japanese music gaining popularity

TOKYO, Japan - Musical duo Yoshida Brothers -- Ryoichi (L) and Kenichi -- play the Tsugaru shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese banjo, during a recent performance at the French Embassy in Tokyo. The brothers, who dress in traditional ceremonial attire when performing, are rising stars in the traditional Japanese music scene.

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(2)Japan Week celebrated at Aichi Expo

NAGAKUTE, Japan - Shamisen (three-stringed banjo) players give a performance with a Katsushika Hokusai ukiyo-e in the background as part of events to mark Japan Week at the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture on June 7. (Kyodo)

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Girls having afternoon tea

The caption reads lunch in the afternoon in English, but this is a photo of snack time. Four girls sit around a long brazier, smoking a pipe, pouring and drinking tea, and reading. Rice cakes are placed in the center with a shamisen (three-stringed instrument) hanging on the wall.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:Ogawa Kazumasa, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number6‐34‐0]

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Japan-S. Korea festival in Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea - Students of Goshogawara Daiichi High School in Aomori Prefecture play Tsugaru shamisen, traditional three-stringed instruments from the prefecture, at the ''Nikkan Koryu Omatsuri'' (Japan-South Korean Exchange Festival) in Seoul on Oct. 2, 2010. (Kyodo)

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A scene of a meal

The woman, apparently a maid, sitting beside the container of cooked rice is offering second helpings by extending the tray. The woman in the center is eating rice and side dishes with chopsticks. The shoji screen, three-stringed shamisen and chrysanthemums make this a classic Japanese scene.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number92‐49‐0]

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Practicing traditional songs

The woman is practicing songs and accompanying herself on a shamisen (three-stringed lute). The hair style with tortoiseshell hairpins and the look of her kimono collar suggest that she is a geisha (entertainer). The bonsai potted plants on each side are props.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number69‐51‐0]

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Girls practicing traditional songs

Two women hold shamisen (three-stringed lutes) while another woman holds a song book. This seems to be a scene from a regular practice session. The hairstyles with kanzashi (hairpins) and the look of the kimono collars suggest that the women are professionals.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number69‐43‐0]

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Girls practicing traditional songs

One woman holds a shamisen (three-stringed lute) while other three women practice songs. The title of the song book held by the standing woman is Sendai Hagi Goden no dan. The look of the women's kimono collars suggest that the models are professionals.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number69‐38‐0]

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Women performing ozashiki dance

One woman is wearing a hachimaki (head towel). Three women are dancing to the music of a shamisen (three-stringed lute), their sleeves tied up with cords and their legs lifted high. This is a playful, not traditional and refined, dance.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number51‐2‐0]

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Girls playing ayatori

Two young women in decorative kimono enjoy a game of cat's cradle. The shamisen (three-stringed lute) placed in the centre suggests that they are in the middle of a practice session.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number49‐23‐0]

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Women performing ozashiki dance

One woman is wearing a hachimaki (head towel). Three women are dancing to the music of a shamisen (three-stringed lute), their sleeves tied up with cords and their legs lifted high. This is a playful, not traditional and refined, dance.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number49‐17‐0]

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Practicing traditional songs

A girl receives a singing lesson from a master who is accompanying her on a shamisen (three-stringed lute) in a room. The master wears her hair in an unarranged manner. This seems to be the scene of a practice session inside a house.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number49‐14‐0]

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Practicing traditional songs

A girl receives a singing lesson from a master who is accompanying her on a shamisen (three-stringed lute) in front of a tokonoma alcove decorated with flowers. Taking lessons of this sort was customary for the children of well-to-do families.==Date:unknown, Place:unknown, Photo:unknown, (Credit:Nagasaki University Library/Kyodo News Images) [Cabinet Number49‐1‐0]

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Traditional dance event in Toyama

TOYAMA, Japan - People dance to the sound of instruments including the ''kokyu,'' a traditional Japanese fiddle that originated in China, and the ''shamisen,'' a three-stringed Japanese instrument played with a plectrum, on Sept. 1, 2011, during the traditional ''Owarakazenobon'' dance event held annually during the typhoon season in the city of Toyama to pray for good harvests. The event will continue through Sept. 3. (Kyodo)

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Traditional dance event in Toyama

TOYAMA, Japan - Women dance to the sound of instruments including the ''kokyu,'' a traditional Japanese fiddle that originated in China, and the ''shamisen,'' a three-stringed Japanese instrument played with a plectrum, on Sept. 1, 2011, during the traditional ''Owarakazenobon'' dance event held annually during the typhoon season in the city of Toyama to pray for good harvests. The event will continue through Sept. 3. (Kyodo)

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Largest ensemble of shamisen performers

TOKYO, Japan - More than 1,000 performers of "Tsugaru shamisen," a type of music played with the shamisen three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument, gather at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Oct. 25, 2014, to set a world record for the largest shamisen ensemble. Under the eye of staff from Guinness World Records Japan, they set a record when 1,124 performers played together. According to Guinness World Records, the previous world record in the category was set in 1999 at Tokyo Dome when 815 shamisen players performed together. (Kyodo)

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Traditional Japanese arts performance in Sydney

Musicians play "sanshin" three-stringed instruments from the southern island prefecture of Okinawa during a Japanese traditional arts show at the Sydney Opera House on Dec. 16, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo