Have you ever heard a shamisen? Shamisen literary means ‘three strings,’ rightly describing this traditional instrument that somewhat resembles a banjo. We will proudly present Kazutaka “Kazu” Fukui for the first solo shamisen performance ever held at the Garden’s Cultural Corner.

Kazu is currently residing in Portland as a fellow gardener at the Portland Japanese Garden. Yes, he has double professions; a Master gardener and a Master player of shamisen. He started his shamisen training at age 16 and won a prize at a national shamisen competition in Japan at age 19. Now he plays shamisen all over the world. Along with his musical pursuit, he studied gardening and earned a Master’s degree in Landscaping Architecture at the Tokyo University of Agriculture. Being in two professions – sound and visual – Kazu disseminates Japanese culture through his unique approaches.

Enjoy Kazu’s world!