Where to buy traditional Japanese instruments in Japan

[jess]

Has anyone been to any stores they could recommend? I've been to Japan before, but stores selling traditional instruments are a little hard to find. I've done a google search, but there doesn't seem to be that many.

Jess

[Blue]

Which city are you talking about?

If you are in Tokyo, you should have already noticed Mejiro, www.mejiro-japan.com/en/top which is located near the Mejiro (目白) JR station on the Yamanote Line (山手線).

The exact address is 〒161-0033 Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shimoochiai, 3 Chome−17-30.

On your walk from the Mejiro JR station to the Mejiro musical instrument store, you can stop by and eat at Le Mont-St-Michel (a crepe restaurant) which is located at Japan, 〒171-0031 Tokyo, Toshima, Mejiro, 3 Chome−4-15 1F creperie-mont-st-michel.blogspot.jp/

[Blue]

There's also this place, which is located near the Asakusa (浅草) metro station at the end of the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. www.miyamoto-unosuke.co.jp/english/profile.html

It's not as easy to find. It is near the Kuritsu Sumida Park, but google street view is not helping me to pinpoint the place. The shop keeper might not necessarily give you free auditions compared to Mejiro.

Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten Co.,Ltd. is the place where I purchased a shinobue with equidistant holes. Unfortunately, a lack of free audition prevented me to realize that you need non-equidistant holes and holes with various sizes in order to play do-re-mi on a shinobue!

[Blue]

If you are located in the Osaka-Kyoto region, you could visit the Taiko Center:

www.taiko-center.co.jp/english/offices.html

They also have an online shop where you can order various instruments, including a Horagai Conch shell if you can cough out more than US$300.

During my website search, I've also found this store that is located with Kyoto. However, I haven't had any experience with them:
nohmask21.com/yokobue-cyokin.html

When you are in Kyoto or Nara (the place where there's deer roaming around a temple with Tang-style architecture), those tourist shops often sell cheap bamboo shinobue and recorder flutes. The bamboo recorder flute is nice, but the shinbue is probably not properly tuned.

[Blue]

This conch shell really looks interesting!

[jess]

Wow, thanks for all those recommendations! I will be going to many places (including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka), so will definitely make the effort to visit those places (and the creperie!).

I thought that $300 was considered inexpensive for a traditional Japanese instrument? (In comparison to traditional Chinese instruments). I've never seen horagai conch shells, it does look interesting.

So was that shinobue with the equidistant holes supposed to be tuned to some traditional key, or was it just poorly made? Hope you didn't get too ripped off!

[Blue]

The shinobue with equidistant holes was actually well-made construction-wise. It is considered to be tuned to some traditional Japanese festival key. As quoted from the Wikipedia:

There are two styles: uta (song) and hayashi (festival). The uta is properly tuned to the Western scale, and can be played in ensembles or as a solo instrument. The hayashi is not in the correct pitch, because it is simply a piece of hollow bamboo with holes cut into it.

I effectively got ripped of US$100 from the lack of a free audition.