Shamisen New Year Party

On Sunday 8th February 2009 we had a New Year's party with my shamisen group. We were to meet at 9am, somewhere, but as usual I couldn't understand my teacher, so after collecting everyone at the pick-up point he got the bus to meet me at Honjo city hall. We then went to Kisakata Seaside Hotel, about 30 minutes south of Honjo.

We went to the same place last year also, though at the time I had no idea that it was a New Year's party, I just though it was a concert. I also found out this year that the group I play with is much bigger than I though, it has about 25 members and is called Akita shinzankai (秋田新山会). In the folk group we have shamisen, shakuhachi, and taiko players, as well as dancers and singers.


To start off the day we had a meeting about the groups finances. Then we got changed into our kimonos and hakamas, went into a room with a stage set up and took some group photos. I realised how much taller I was to everyone else! Then we began our concert.

Everyone took turns playing different songs and dancing. The age of these people is quite apparent. I reckon the youngest, besides myself, is about 50 and she is much younger than the rest which must all have about 40 years on me!


I played just one song this year, ringo bushi. I played it with my teacher, a taiko drummer, shakuhachi player and a singer. I took a video but unfortunately the singer was standing between me and the camera for most of the video.


We started our enkai, which involves much drinking, at about 1 o'clock. Beer was the first drink to arrive, and was followed quickly by wine and whiskey both of which i refused, at first. Then came tamagozake (卵酒) or egg sake, not something I reccommend, though apparently it is good for the common cold! Then the normal sake arrived, then the wine came back. At this point many of my collegues were getting drunk quickly and becomming more insistant that I should drink everythink they had to offer!

At 4pm we headed back to Honjo and went to a karaoke bar, owned by the wife of my teacher called Night in Castle. They were singing all Japanese folk songs, many dating from the 1940's! When they requested me to sing I knew I was in trouble. I looked for my only reliable song, the one all my friends must be sick of hearing, 1979, but apparently it was a much too recent song. I went with the slightly older Disarm. Nobody joined in!