Tsugaru Shamisen Duo 'Yoshida Brothers' Return to Their Roots of Raw Sound, Taking on the Challenge of a 'Subtractive' Performance with Only Two Shamisens
The Yoshida Brothers, a duo who has popularized the Tsugaru shamisen worldwide through collaborations with various genres such as rock and pop, are embarking on their largest-scale challenge yet, using only raw sound—their origin. In September 2026, they will hold a performance titled 'Yoshida Brothers - Goku Nama - THE MOMENT' at the Festival Hall (2,700 seats) in Kita Ward, Osaka City, using only two shamisens and absolutely no microphones or speakers.
This attempt by the Tsugaru shamisen player brothers, Ryoichiro Yoshida and Kenichi Yoshida, deliberately eliminates sound systems such as microphones and speakers to deliver the 'raw sound' of the instruments directly to the audience. It can be described as a concert that returns to the roots of Tsugaru shamisen's 'kadosuke-gei' (gate-to-gate performing), where players once made a living by performing on the doorsteps of individual houses.
The older brother, Ryoichiro, says, 'This is a wonderful venue for expressing sound that transmits vibrations directly to the body. I want people to hear the unique resonance of the shamisen, which is different from sound through a microphone.' The younger brother, Kenichi, also remarks, 'Every element, including the temperature and humidity of the day, and even the thickness of the audience's clothes, affects the resonance of the sound. I want people to experience the resonance of that exact moment.' Although the popular 'Jongara-bushi' will be performed, it promises to be a rare opportunity to feel the once-in-a-lifetime sound of that specific moment with the entire body.
Nならでは= unique to; only possible with
Learning Notes
Grammar Patterns
Pattern
Meaning
Nに乗り出す
to set out on; to embark on
あえて
daringly; deliberately
Nならでは
unique to; only possible with
Vocabulary
Word
Reading
Level
Meaning
挑戦
ちょうせん
N3
challenge
試み
こころみ
N2
attempt / trial
原点
げんてん
N2
origin / starting point
響き
ひびき
N2
resonance / sound
Language Insights
•The term '門付け芸' (kadosuke-gei) refers to the historical practice of musicians and performers going from door to door (kado) to perform and receive money or food, which was the original way Tsugaru shamisen players made a living.
•The phrase '引き算' (subtraction) in the title refers to stripping away all modern electronic audio assistance (microphones, speakers) to challenge the performance with only the raw sound of the instruments.