Sanshin

The sanshin descends from the sanxian of Fujian in southern China, and it took its own form in the Ryukyu Kingdom from the 15th century, when trade with China and Southeast Asia brought in many goods and ideas. In the 16th century it travelled on to mainland Japan through Ryukyu and became one of the origins of the shamisen. The sanshin's neck is shorter than the shamisen's.

The body is covered with python skin, and three strings run from the base of the body to the top of the neck. Players pluck single notes, usually to accompany their own singing. Okinawans write sanshin music in kunkunshi. The notation uses Chinese characters and grew from a Chinese system for the sanxian. At the Ryukyu court the sanshin accompanied classical music and dance, and aristocrats and farmers alike sang folk songs to it.

The instrument stands for Okinawan culture across the islands, and Japan named the sanshin a traditional craft in November 2018. The National Theatre Okinawa holds sanshin concerts through its season, and its kumiodori and dance performances use sanshin ensembles.