Melissa Forte
Hiromitsu Agatsuma
The Career of Hiromitsu Agatsuma
The Tsugaru Shamisen is a traditional Japanese instrument (that has its roots in China).
The instrument is a string instrument that holds a great impact in Japan. The music style has its
roots in the Aomori Prefecture. Traditional Japanese music is integral to Japanese culture as
there are many diverse sounds within the music genre. Hiromitsu Agatsuma is an artist who has
found a way to make waves in the Japanese music industry.
Hiromitsu Agatsuma was born on July 27th, 1973. He was born in Ibaraki, Japan. Ibaraki
is located in the Osaka prefecture which is near the capital Tokyo. From his early childhood, he
had a heavy involvement in music. At the young age of six, he was already studying the Tsugaru
Shamisen. His father was a player of the traditional instrument. From him, he too had picked up
the ways of the Shamisen. Passing down family traditions is very important to Japanese culture,
which can be seen as a part of the reason he started learning to play. Shamisen is a genre of
music that is known for it’s unique sound. The Tsugaru Shamisen is a Shamisen instrument that
Hiromitsu Agatsuma has used in much of his work, is an instrument that is like the lute. This
instrument is made of many different materials like wood (which makes the body), cat and dog
skin, and silk which is used to make the strings on the Tsugaru Shamisen. These three strings on
the Tsugaru Shamisen help to create a strong resonating sound.
Hiromitsu Agatsuma was so talented with the Tsugaru Shamisen, that from a young age
he was able to gather many awards from competition. When he was ten, he would even find
himself on TV for talented young people who had the ability to play the Tsugaru Shamisen well,
At the young age of fourteen, he was able to win the ‘All Japan- Tsugaru Shamisen
Competition’. This was in 1988. As he grew older, he then continued on with his studies. He
went on to study even further. As someone who wanted to become a professional Shamisen
player, he found that a mentor would be too burdening to his growth as an artist and his growth
in his career. In 1995 and 96, he also had managed to win top awards at the ‘Tsugaru Shamisen
National Competition’ which is a prestigious competition for some of the best Tsugaru Shamisen
players in Japan. In an interview conducted by Kazumi Narabe, Agatsuma said, “I studied by
myself. The Most common path is to enter an organization under some teacher, but when you
enter such a group most of your time is taken up with group activities”.
In September of 2001, he debuted under the label EMI Music Japan with the EP
“AGATSUMA”. This EP consisted of 5 tracks and was such a highly regarded body of work,
that it won “Traditional Japanese Music Album of the Year” at the 16th Japan Golden Disc
Awards. The Golden Disc Awards span across all of Asia and are the Asian version of the
Grammy’s. He then went on to release his sophomore album titled ‘BEAMS ~ AGATSUMA II”
with ten tracks. In 2003 three he made his US debut and has since traveled all over the world
sharing his craft. Today, he makes many media appearances as he shares his artistry using the
Tsugaru Samisen
Works Cited
“Artist Interview: Hiromitsu Agatsuma: Performing Arts Network Japan.” Artist Interview: Hiromitsu
Agatsuma | Performing Arts Network Japan, performingarts.jp/E/art_interview/0501/2.html.
“Hiromitsu Agatsuma.” Playing For Change, playingforchange.com/musicians/hiromitsu-agatsuma/
Iuchi, Chiho. “'Taiko' Pioneer Eitetsu Hayashi to Mark 45 Years of Drumming to His Own Beat.” The
Japan Times, www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2015/12/10/music/taiko-pioneer-eitetsu-hayashimark-45-years-drumming-beat/#.XmZRg25FzIU.
“Shamisen: an Introduction.” Taiken Japan, 29 Mar. 2019, taiken.co/single/shamisen-an-introduction/.