Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2011 Visualizing Cultures
Site 16: Miyagawa Home
Playing Music
site 16 photo 1.1
My Suka grandfather, Tatsu Go-Ro, playing shamisen at home; he also studied calligraphy and shakuhachi (bamboo flute). My mother studied koto, but the instruments burned in the war, and that ended it.
site 16 photo 1.2
Tatsu Go-Ro sings while his teacher plays shamisen in a class recital.
Koshikoma Takemoto taught joruri to my Miyagawa grandparents. She came to our house once a week and gave lessons to everyone in the neighborhood. My house was filled with traditional Japanese music: shamisen and singing.
Her student, Komoryu Takemoto,
succeeded her after her death and adopted her stage name, Takemoto.
I recorded her playing shamisen at our home this evening.
site 16 photo 1.3
I hold a shamisen with the help of Koshikoma Takemoto (her stage name).
site 16 photo 2.1
Student concert! I took private violin lessons...
I played western music on the violin. My favorite singers were a group called the Peanuts. They were twin Japanese girls. I had their pictures
all over my walls. Japanese pop is heavily influenced by western pop.
site 16 photo 2.2
group photo, violin concert Hiratsuka Music Institute, 9th Public Concert. Last adult standing is the teacher.
3rd grade harmonica class! Box on right is an organ. My best friend,
Sotaro Kobayashi, stands next to me. We played both western and Japanese music.
site 16 photo 2.3
Back row left, Shigeru. Back row, second from left, Sotaro Kobayashi
