Japanese Craftsman Built Me A Shamisen | My Japan Journey
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- Опубліковано 18 лют 2019
- My Name is Norm and I am the apprentice of the Yoshida Brothers. And this is the story of me working with a Japanese craftsman who built a traditional Japanese Shamisen for me.
Its been about 7 years since I started playing. At the end of 2018 I asked them if they thought it was time for me to get a new Shamisen. It was actually a much deeper question. They told me yes.
I have spent the last 2 months documenting my shamisen being built and assembled by the craftsman, Mr. Komatsu.
This video was originally titled: The Apprentice's Next Step
Much love and appreciation to Shamisen Komatsuya.
shamisen-komatsuya.com/
(Not a sponsor. Just incredible people)
For more on my journey to becoming the apprentice of the Yoshida Brothers:
soranews24.com/2019/02/18/is-...
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/ tokyo_one
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Norm Nakamura - Tokyo Creative
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I may have hidden a beautiful and wonderful surprise somewhere in this video. (Did... anyone stick around to see it?.........)
So much love to Shamisen Komatsuya for putting in a month of work and allowing me to film something we dont often get to see.
And thank you to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who takes the time to watch this. And so much more to those of you who waited for it.
By the way, did you use the synthetic material at the end?
Fantastic video!! I love the end shots!!! 🤩 Thank you for sharing this very personal story with us.
Your new shamisen is beautiful, Norm. Can't wait to see you play it for us!
@@Kiyra18 but of course!!
@@TokyoLens aww I love it even more.. That's very amazing.. ❤️❤️
He put his soul into that instrument. It's such a beauty. I almost cried a little in the end
I really wish that I could have really shared every single one of the finer details
but I am glad that the care and heart he put in to the process came through.
Thank you so much~
I teared up- it was so moving to have it all come together, and see such a beautiful piece of art- and such a serious effort on the craftsman's part- come together.
Almost? I did cry! The craftsmanship and materials are exquisite every little detail makes you want to stare in wonder and awe! Congratulations!
Seeing both the enjoyment, respect and emotion on the faces of both the craftsman and yourself is moving. When this much care goes into something, you know it will sound great without hearing a single note.
I have to agree, one of the most beautiful arts I've had the chance to see
Dude... the passion in this video is amazing. Very well done. I am so happy for you and all that you have accomplished. Keep it real bro!
Thank you so much drew~ means the wild
@@TokyoLens hope it's ok to post this on my site...want the world to see this! Cheers bro!
Fantastic stuff ☺ ♥ 🇯🇵
Japanese craftsmanship is something special! They put so much effort and love into creating it's mind blowing. In the end it feels like they're giving away a small part of themselfes! Same with the neck that he does not want to give away. It's just so amazing and even just watching this leaves me awestruck..
Thank you so much Tim
the care and love that he put into every step of the craft was beautiful to see~
Every time he approached me to say "im going to start this part of the process. Do you want to watch?" he would run up to me with excitement in his voice.
Got me pumped to capture the best version every single time!
SIDE NOTE, WHEN WARFARE RULED FOR SO LONG THE TRADE ARTS MUST BE GOOD, NOT DOWNING, EVERYTHING HAS A BALANCE, kuz like in Conan the barbarian THULSADOOM. searched for steel, but no longer was he ,when he was able to PERFECT SUCH THINGS TIS THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR SOCIETY'S, .
That smile he had when he came walking in with the Itomaki, and that slow reveal he did... priceless. Just two passionate dudes, living their best lives. Such a joy to watch
My eyes literally teared up and I found myself crying before I could stop while you were picking out the final touches. It's an incredible journey of labour and love and I don't even want to guess at how much it cost, but it's so obviously very important to you.
You're always so passionate in your videos, but it's like you just took flight and left us far behind where we can longer touch the beauty this process was for you.
Thank you for sharing, I don't think I've commented before (though I've been watching your videos for some time), but I feel somehow privileged and humbled to have seen a glimpse of what is an incredible milestone in your life. Thank you.
I’m so happy that you did take the time to comment so I can personally thank you.
I’m genuinely so happy that you would not only take the time to watch, but also leave such a beautiful comment for me to read.
Thank you so very much~
What beautiful words! ✌🏻💗😊❣️
I love the fact that between the low, middle, and high quality necks, the highest quality is not the "most" resonant, but rather the "best" resonant. It is something far more subtle and nuanced than volume alone. Rather, it is the way that the material reacts to the the vibration of the string...I have never played a shamisen, but I have played many other string instruments, whether bowed or plucked, acoustic or electric. It is hard to describe, but you know it when it happens.
I own a small post production studio in Japan. I've been here for 22 years. Almost half my life. The thing that amazes me every day and what I think made Japan my home was the devotion to perfection. It's hard to put into words, but this video shows the dedication I see every day. Great video.
Not gonna lie I cried a little bit, as a musician I get how much love for the instrument you both have and the bond between the instrument and the performer is one of the best things in the world.
Norm, congrats on the new shamisen. Seeing japanese craftmanship always amaze me, and so is your shamisen it's beautifuly crafted and i hope it's not only just a step but a leap for you.
Thank you so much
I hope so as well!
Daaaamn Dude! That might be your most beautiful video ever! Congratz to your new Shamisen! Seeing you being all over the moon about it is very contagious, I'm so happy right now! ^o^
I love the energy you have when you talk about Shamisen. You can see the passion in it. Thank you for sharing 😊
It means the world to me 🥰
Yeah I also love the energy, its amazing to see someone so passionate about something, it is very rare to see.
@@TokyoLens well I think it's the opposite since we are watching your videos.. I'm serious.. I got addicted to your channel.. And thanks to you I will follow my passion.. You are spreading it world wide 😁
so much gratification skill and emotion in one video. amazing
Incredible craftsmanship
Really is! I am honored to have been able to capture it!
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch!
Norm, really proud of you man. It's been amazing following you up to where you are now. おめでとうございます！ Thank you so much for sharing this special monent with us!
thank you for being here and taking the time to watch~
Watching this video 3years after it has been posted. Seeing how much effort and care was put into making your new Shamisen. And then remembering your video of when you got hurt and you saying that because of the injury you got in your hand. That you might not be able to play the Shamisen again brought me to tears. Got me thinking how I would feel if I couldn't play ukulele again. I hope you don't give up on playing Shamisen Norm. Aloha from Hawai'i 🤙🏽
i fell like i been taken on a trip i will never see myself ever doing and i thank you so much for that, and i hope one day your able to fulfill your dreams.
いい三味線です。本当に美しい…。
ノルムさん、きっとあなたはこの”相棒”とともに、新たな人生のステージへ飛躍を遂げるでしょう。頑張れ！！
頑張ります！本当にありがとうございます😊
Omg, I loved this video so much.
Thank you @Tokyo Lens !
This is really really awesome. I don't know were to start.
THANK YOU for sharing this videos with us.
The craftsman really loves his craft and the fact that he shared that with you is so amazing.
Komatsu san seems to be an amazing person with lots of love for his work, and the quality of his shamisen for what we can see here seems to match his passion.
Please keep making your videos and keep showing us the beauty of Japan and its people.
PS: I love the fact that leave Japanese talk as much as possible in the video.
Thank you so much and I’m so glad that this video spoke to you that much!
I can believe that it would be a huge honour seeing your new shamisen being crafted right in front of your eyes.
This was like magic seeing all the pieces come together to become amazing instrument.
Your new Shamisen is so beautiful and you can tell its been but together by a true master.
Hope your Shamisen takes you to new places.
Congratulations, Norm! I don't know how you didn't tear up ... I did. Please keep the shamisen videos coming.
Thank you
So many more to come
Maybe it is like pets, you don't choose the cat, the right cat chooses you.
So true...
The right cat makes the perfect shamisen skin.
Genuinely heart-warming to see you so moved and excited by this process, it obviously means so much to you. Thanks for sharing dude.
I'm confused as to how anyone watching this, gave it a "thumbs down"...
It's clearly titled that this is a personal video of your next step. One we've excitedly gotten to follow you through.
This video oozes your emotions. It's infections.
Add to it that we all learned much from it. Not just more about you and your passions, but about how they're made. Incredibly skilled craftsmanship.
I was also excited to see that you opted for a non-animal option. Very humane, I love you all the more now!
And as I said, that exquisite unveiling at the end.... Just beautiful.
I mean how does anyone not like it?! 😲
This warms my heart Norm
Awww thank you!
I may have Been a bit excited for this one!
Oh Norm. I am so happy for you! Please know right now I am crying. This is so huge for YOU! PLEASE ACCEPT MY LOVING SUPPORT MY FRIEND. HUGE SQUISHY HUGS FOR MORAL SUPPORT 😘😘 I am so blessed that you are sharing this with me. Still crying. Please Norm thank each and everyone of them again personally for me. Out of just sheer appreciation of their blessing of their craft to you and yours. Still crying.
awww thank you so much. This means the world to me~
I really appreciate you being here.
Touched on this a bit in the podcast. Hope you got a chance to hear it!
@@TokyoLens I don't know how to get to the podcast,Norm. I am sorry. 😱😶😢🙏💜💖💜💖💜💖
No worries it’s everywhere!
iTunes
Google
Spotify
For now, here’s a link if you are ever interested!
anchor.fm/tokyolens
Thank you so much again~
That. was. beautiful. I almost teared up. The level of craftsmanship is a beautiful thing to watch as well. I hope this passion of excellence for each piece never dies. I love how you got to customize it...those neon yellow strings were something else. Hearing the different sounds the different qualities of wood make were amazing. I loved how at the end he said "come back and play a song for me". :) Which part was the surprise? The hidden basement of wood? Thank you so much for sharing Norm. Once again, you make me want to think more about my purchases and the quality of product of the things I buy and how I can improve my life through the quality of choices I make. (food, clothes, shoes, books, etc.) I hope I can find more local craftsmen (and women) to purchase from. Every time I purchase a high quality, local, hand-made product, I just feel the warmth and joy that the object was made with and it makes my heart happy. Thanks again for sharing, I really, truly, enjoy your content. I hope one day our journey's intersect!
Hahaha the surprise was the B-Roll I’d just the Shamisen at the end
I tried to express my feelings for the beauty of the Shamisen through this moment and purposefully left it to the end so that those who did stay to watch, could really feel it!
Thank you for always being here!!
Means the world to me!
@@TokyoLens yes! The B-roll was beautiful!! :) I felt it.
It is beautiful, I've been waiting for this video. Thanks for sharing such an in depth of the process
So happy for you, Norm! Thank you, AND Komatsuya-San for sharing this process! A lot of love went into that shamisen and it shows! ☺️
Awesome !
The excitement is tangible here!
The passion and the mastery of the craftmanship is really awesome and conveyed beautifully from both of you.
And the beauties.... You out did yourself with the beauties. Perfect lighting, edit and shots.
👌
Thank you so much for that
I’m really glad the excitement translated into the screen!!
You are by far my favorite youtuber, I just love every second of your videos. I really want to go to Japan and I plan to after university in a couple years, watching you always gives me motivation to want to go there!
Hey Flux.. I'm planing to visit Japan.. Not sure about living.. I mean it is somewhere in my dreams. But hey.. Maybe we will meet there.. Would be so cool😁
@@Kiyra18 Yeah maybe we will sometime :D
The joy and excitement in your voice and on your face was lovely to see. What a beautiful instrument made with so much love and care. I am happy for you
The video literally made my morning. I kept smiling as you shared the excitement of your new shamisen being made.
What a beautiful instrument. Congrats Norm, I can feel your excitement. Can’t wait to hear you play.
Awesome video. The time flew so quick with this video and I was sad it ended.
Means the world to me
Thank you~
I am very happy for you Norm. The passion you show in this video and your pure excitement are off the scale. It makes myself and i'm sure many others think to what makes them happy and pushes them to keep going. Thank you for sharing the most important part of your life with us and may your Shamisen bring you a lifetime of joy and for bringing us joy as well.
Norm, this is a thing of beauty for sure.
I knew a little about the Shamisen before starting to follow you, but I feel I've learned so much more just by watching your journey.
I can't wait to see you your new one.
Thanks so much for just being a part of it
It means the world to me~
@@TokyoLens for sure. it's a pleasure to get to see all that you share!
This video is gold, I've never seen such an illustrative video about how a shamisen really works. Thanks!
Wonderful, truly shows the craftsmanship of the instrument. Thank you for making this video.
That is awesome it is cool to watch you follow your dreams. What great camera work at the end.
Happy to have you here~
This was so heart warming to watch , I’ll gladly wait a couple years for you to break in the new shamisen just so I can hear you play
It's a work of complete Art, made by a total craftsman his expertise an detail to the creating of each part of the shamizan... The wood the crisp sound of that priceless neck... had me in tears an frankly breathless just the sheer excitement of it all... Just beauty in Art... Can't wait to hear the music created with such a finely made instrument... Thanks for sharing your life an the lives of others with us!! New sub catching up ✌🏻💗😊❣️
三味線作り、初めて見た。凄い工程だな。
I am a little late to comment but this video is beautiful and I can feel the emotion in this one. So very happy for you Norm!
Found your channel through Sharla, and man, this is great stuff. I was already familiar with the amazing Yoshida Brothers, and here you are just hanging out with them! And then the video is of a master craftsman making a beautiful thing, which is basically most of what I watch on UA-cam, so whole thing just really hits all the spots for me. Awesome video!
Amazing!! You are so lucky!! I have been following the Yoshida Brothers forever!! I love there sounds!! Congradulations!!
congrats on your new baby!
The amount of passion and pure love that blasts from this video had me tearing up. What a beautiful thing you have Norm. You showed us a world through your eyes and it's breathtaking. I wish you continuous happiness in your life!
Such an amazing difference of quality of sound in the woods. I don't think I'd have the heart to go below mid grade to high end, worth every penny (or yen as the case may be). Wishing you continued success on your journey with your beautiful piece of art.
Thank you Kirsten!
I’m glad that you could appreciate it that much!! Have a great day!!
It is so wonderful to see people so excited about quality craftsmanship. There's not enough of it these days
Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you so much for being here
Congratulation on the new shamisen Norm! おめでとうございます。応援してます！
This whole video is wonderful, there's definitely a lovely feeling throughout. It's like I'm watching some heart-warming animation about the journey of the shamisen and its creator 😁❤️
How wonderful, thank you for sharing with us, the emotion really comes through, it's an instrument of beauty
Thank you so much for sharing this adventure. Your new shamisen is beautiful. Enjoy !!
Norm, I've never seen this Shamisen making scene before! This is a beautiful process and might be the first vid in UA-cam! I can't wait you play it!
Norm your new shamisen came out beautiful. Can't wait to see you play it soon!
Acctually I watched you played Shamisen in Big‐sight today❗️
It was soooo amazing👍👍👍
When I happened to be there on my business,I heard so beautiful Shamisen sounds in that hall.
I wondered who played such a beautiful Shamisen,and I found Noam with Shamisen in the boose❗️
Unfortunately I couldn't talk to you.
You looked super cool guy👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
THATS AMAZING! Thank you so much!
Next time, please say hello!!
Can't wait to hear it!
Thank you for the opportunity to witness this. The craftsman and his craft, extraordinary.
Norm!! I love this video so much! It is so amazing to watch all the little details that go into making this beautiful instrument. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire video. I got a little emotional too. Seeing you all excited and passionate about this really makes this video so special. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. And can't wait to hear you play it!
Such a beautiful instrument! I can't even fathom the amount of craftsmanship that it took to make that. Woohooo so exciting! I can't wait to hear you play!
This was probably the most emotionally honest video I have ever watched. Your genuine enthusiasm and appreciation shone through. I was very moved.
ありがとうございます
That's incredible! There's nothing like seeing your instrument made in front of your very eyes. You're bringing home a unique part of a countries culture and there are very few things that top that! As a fellow artisan, seeing his workshop space(And wow, his wood storage!!) was a feast for the eyes! You're a lucky guy. Enjoy your gorgeous Shamisen.
That was really nice to watch. Keep up the good work Norm :)
I love wood!! I wish I had learned to work with it when I was younger, but I didn’t appreciate it as much as I do now. I am a 70 year old woman and I nearly cried when I saw the beautiful wood come to life and to have watched someone who really cares about his work. So many people don’t appreciate this kind of perfection and how it brings a deep satisfaction when you really care and can be proud of what you do. Thank you for sharing.
It's so beautiful to be shown how much hard work, practice and attention to tradition you've put in and how much your excitement resounded in me because of that! So happy for you and it's truly a beautiful instrument and process.
So beautiful! I love Japanese craftsmanship
You can see the amount of love he puts in every of his shamisen builds, it's incredible
What a BEAUTIFUL shamisen, Norm! I can truly see your passion for this instrument and music. Thank you for sharing because I had no idea what shamisen was until I started following you a couple years ago.
Ahhh! I would love to be an apprentice for him. The amount of love and passion for the craft is so wonderful! I wish I could apprentice for a traditional trade craft. I miss the old artisan mindset. It feels so lost nowadays. Everything is made fast with no love or passion.
Absolutely, incredibly stunning instrument. You can really tell the care and attention that was put into every inch of the shamisen. So happy you were able to have this opportunity 😭
This passion can only be from something life changing and soul touching! My heart was racing, I was so excited as all these amazing pieces were crafted and coming together! Your enthusiasm is infectious!!! Thank you for sharing this special moment with us!
Wow, I’m so glad you got your new Shamisen and I can’t wait to hear it. The effort and skill that goes into making them is truly incredible
Soooo effing beautiful, Norm!!! 🙌🏼 Congratulations on the purchase, but more so, congrats on the time, love, and commitment it took to graduate to your new boo! Mahalo for sharing and play for us again... real soon
I never thought watching a 12-minutes UA-cam video can give me so much insight into a foreign culture. Thank you!
This was beautiful. Thank you for sharing this journey with us - I learned a lot more about shamisens and the process it takes to craft one. All the best as you continue in your (shamisen playing/learning/performing) journey!
We finally got moved into our house in Cali, and I have been spending the day catching up on your videos while I clean and organize the house. I saved this one for last because I know it's something you are so passionate about, and it really shows. You did such an amazing job documenting this process, and it's so awesome to see the genuine excitement on your face at this pivotal moment in your life. Can't wait to hear you play.
Oh my god Norm, we can feel so much emotion in this video! I’m so excited for you! Thanks for sharing that special moment 😊❤️
I am blown away by how emotionally connected I felt watching this wonderful video and so greatful that you shared the beautiful journey with us 🙏🏻 Such craftsmanship is a rare and fine thing, the excitement, love and joy radiating from you both is intoxicating. Thank you. 🇬🇧💖🙏🏻
Congratulations on getting your new Shamisen, Norm. Delighted for you. The video is absolutely amazing. Definitely up to par and even beyond! Looking forward to hearing you play the new beast!
Holy crap the amount of craftsmanship and effort that went into this is amazing! I'm not gonna lie, I got a bit emotional by the end of the video. Congrats on the new shamisen, can't wait to hear you play on it.
Oh wow! Thank you for letting us into a world normally unseen. My heart was racing from the passion leaping out at me - not just you, Norm, but the instrument maker, and the connection to an ancient and noble art. At 10:21 I got choked up and nearly burst into tears. I know, right? Total respect for all involved. You rock.
It is so nice to see you being exited about something you obviously love! 🙌
Thankyou for sharing something that is rarely seen! It was sooo interesting to see how the process is done and how much care goes into making the shamisen... its incredible
After watching all the videos leading up to this one, I felt emotional for this too. The energy was high and knowing your passion for this, I was holding back tears. It was truly a beautiful moment to see. I really hope you went back to play him a song!
Thank you so much
Take a peek through the old Patreon posts and I think you’ll find something that makes you smile 😉
I've just read an interview you gave last year . You are really ...interesting . I thought you were French Canadian the first time I heard you speak , I'm I wrong . I am French Canadian. It makes me happy to see that you respect and appreciate the traditions in Japan. The fact that you were able to learn Shamisen as an apprentice of the Yoshida Brothers is amazing .
well it is an absolute pleasure to meet you!
Glad to have you here (^-^)
Wow...literally gasped as the camera moved downstairs in the kitchen. The passion and energy flowing out of the video is just amazing! Congrats!!
OMG!!!! Just .... beautiful!
Yeah so cool I going to wait very patiently for a video with the new shamisen. It's going to sound very good.
These handmade in Japan videos you have are just the best, real craftsmanship is so uncommon in the west, so refreshing to see.
Love the way you put your passion towards shamisen in this video. Thank you for sharing, Bravo! ✨👏🏻
I watched this tears in my eyes. It was just that touching to see how exited you were and how much passion and proficiency the whole video had in it, truly beautiful. 🤎
I love how excited you get over different things. You just burst with energy and your excitement is infectious lol what a gorgeous instrument! I am so happy you have this one.😊
I just love how excited u were at every step and the respect u have for the traditional technique. That is something we have lost in the UK and I fear that some of the traditional techniques are close to being lost forever. I can't wait to visit Japan with my kids when they are a bit older. Thank you for sharing such a special personal moment with us all. Take care x
Oh... Hello new video. Btw.. Looking great in this video Norm😂😜
Awww thanks Emily!!
I have been waiting and wondering for weeks when your Shamisen will be finished. Thank you so much for the fascinating in-depth look into the process and showing off a truly beautiful instrument. Get to practice alright and give a mini concert for us please :)
made me smile that youve been wondering! Glad I could share it!! Thank you!
I love this passion and the excitement you shared with us! I was smiling the whole time, because midway I was also getting excited.
I'm reaaally happy for you, can't wait to hear you playing soon.