![]() Unfortunately it was a near-death experience that caused Norm to finally pursue his as-yet undiscovered dream of playing the shamisen. He moved to Tokyo and began to work in an English conversation school, but while he still enjoyed shamisen music, his interests turned instead to racing cars, and he fell in with a crowd of drift racers. Though at that time Norm still wasn’t that interested in playing the shamisen, his newfound appreciation for the instrument encouraged him to return to Japan. ▼ Norm with the shamisen produced in collaboration with Final Fantasy designer Yoshitaka Amano, Shaula Little did he know, he was actually predicting the future. At a convention in Washington later that year, the Yoshida Brothers happened to make an appearance, so he went to get their autograph, thanked them for their time, and then for some reason over-excitedly told them that he would see them in Japan next time. At first, he wasn’t really interested in learning to play it, but he became an instant fan of the instrument’s sound, and also of the Yoshida Brothers. Needless to say, Yoshida Brothers 2 was like nothing Norm had ever heard before, and it drew him to the shamisen. It was like I had stumbled into this world that was so much bigger than myself, and I had the option to explore it by simply putting on a pair of headphones.” It was instantly appealing as much as it was puzzling. “It was like hearing music for the first time. ▼ One track in particular caught his attention: “Kodo”. What was it about their music that had struck him so strongly? Norm said he’s often been asked that question, but has never been able to give a good answer to describe how he truly felt on that first listen. Norm listened to that CD, and what he heard made him instantly regret leaving Japan. That CD was Yoshida Brothers 2, their third international album, released in 2004. “The who?” was his reply, and his friend eagerly gave him a CD that, unbeknownst to him, would change his life. It was only after he came back that a friend, who had heard that he’d been to Japan, asked him if he’d heard of the Yoshida Brothers. Still, after all that time and travel in Japan, he had never once heard of the shamisen. Never let anyone tell you your dreams are impossible /TWRi7jfVlf- Tokyo Lens December 30, 2018 Now, almost exactly 7 years later I announce our first collaborative performance to be aired on TV Tokyo at 17:55 on Jan 1st In Dec of 2011, I achieved the unbelievable goal of becoming the apprentice of the Yoshida Brothers After that he was inspired to take a trip to Japan, where he traveled all across the country, and then, after graduating, he even returned to do a year working there as part of the working holiday program. Norm was born and raised in Canada, and though he experimented with various string instruments during his school-age years, the shamisen certainly wasn’t one of them, and he didn’t grow up with any significant exposure to Japanese traditional culture at all. His first brush with Japan was in his university days, when he supported international students at his school. In fact, it wasn’t until he’d been to and left Japan twice that he’d even heard the word “shamisen.” For Norm Nakamura, content creator and photographer for YouTube channels Tokyo Lens and Shamisen in Tokyo, and current apprentice to the Yoshida Brothers, that was most definitely the case. Yet still, shamisen music, even that of the Yoshida Brothers, is a niche genre, and for many the word “shamisen” is an unfamiliar term. Their ability to produce the above kind of classical music, as well as to incorporate the traditional styles of the instrument into modern music, like in the song below, make them a popular musical duo who have performed all over the world, even being featured in an ad for the energy drink, Red Bull. The Yoshida Brothers are world-renowned for their mastery of the shamisen, and for the expressive way in which they play. ▼ The Yoshida Brothers playing their rendition of the traditional tsugaru shamisen song “Tsugaru Jongara Bushi” ![]() ![]() Yet, just like for western-style stringed instruments, there is also a market for classical, modern, and even fusion shamisen music, and perhaps most famous for dabbling in all three are the award-winning Yoshida Brothers. Played with a bachi, or plectrum, this three-stringed instrument has a very unique twang that often has a place in Japanese traditional arts like kabuki and puppet shows. The shamisen is an instrument unique to Japan. Musician Norm Nakamura’s movie-like story is a real-life example of how far you can go if you really chase your dreams.
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