The Nakamine Sanshin Shop: Crafting the Sanshin's "Measurable" Tone and a Sustainable Future

2026.03.26

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#Craftsman

#Sanshin

#Okinawa

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#History

Rediscovering the Lost Scenery of a Dyeing Town: Edo Sarasa at Some No Sato Ochiai

In Asato, Naha City, Okinawa, sits the Nakamine Shamisen-ten, now celebrating 65 years in business. The second-generation owner, Mikio Nakamine, who also serves as the secretary-general of the Okinawa Prefecture Sanshin Makers' Cooperative, is an artisan upholding traditional techniques. But he also wears another hat: that of an innovative project member.

This project is a collaboration with academic and cultural institutions, including universities and museums, as well as with Yamaha Corporation. It's an ambitious attempt to scientifically analyze and quantify the creation of the sanshin's sound—a process that has historically depended on the artisan's intuition—or "kan"—and experience. So, why tackle "quantification," a concept often considered taboo in the world of traditional crafts? The answer lies in the serious problem of raw material scarcity and a profound sense of urgency about passing these skills on to the next generation.

PROFILE

Miki Nakamine

Miki Nakamine. Secretary-General of the Okinawa Prefecture Sanshin Makers' Cooperative and owner of the Nakamine Sanshin Shop. Born in 1976 in Urasoe, Okinawa.

He entered the world of sanshin making in 1995 at his father's Nakamine Shamisen-ten and took over his uncle's shop in 2000.

In 2008, he was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Okinawa Sanshin Craftsmanship Exhibition.

Since 2015, he has been involved in the creation of replica restorations of sanshin for the "琉球王国文化遺産集積・再興事業" (Project for the Collection and Revival of Ryukyu Kingdom Cultural Heritage) by the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum.

Today, alongside his work as a sanshin artisan, he is also involved in collaborative and research initiatives aimed at the preservation and development of sanshin culture.

Beginnings as a Sanshin Artisan and the First Hurdle

Nakamine seriously began his journey as a sanshin artisan around the age of 19. His father was also a sanshin maker, so Nakamine had been around the workshop since childhood. But the transition from a daily-wage helper to a salaried craftsman presented a steep learning curve.

The first step in making a sanshin is "kidori"—cutting the timber for the neck from a raw log. This demands a keen eye for the wood grain and knots to choose the best section and prevent future warping. It's a puzzle with countless solutions, and one wrong move means wasting precious ebony.

The young Nakamine was in awe of his father's speed and precision. A neck his father could carve in 20 to 30 minutes took Nakamine over eight hours, and he still wasn't happy with the result. By trying to be overly "careful," he often shaved off too much, making one mistake after another. He remembers the sharp frustration of realizing that in a typical company, he'd be an employee running at a loss.

Determined to close the skill gap, he took three days off from work. He knelt beside his father's workbench and simply watched his hands, studying them intently. The angle of the chisel, the application of force, the sequence of the process—he documented it all in a notebook, complete with diagrams, and asked questions on the spot. This intense spirit of inquiry, this drive to turn implicit, unspoken technique into "transferable knowledge," laid the groundwork for his future data-driven reforms.