19th
Advice to foreigners buying a sanshin
Question: Should I buy a snakeskin sanshin, or an imitation snakeskin sanshin?
The first thought that jumps into minds of international students is, “am I going to be able to bring this home?” Well, I asked one sanshin store manager about my options, and he said that because a lot of tourists come in and out of Okinawa, a sanshin makes a great vacation memento. Meaning that the store often ships sanshin all over Japan. But when I asked about shipping overseas, he said that they couldn’t do it because of laws restricting the import/export of snakeskin products, and then suggested a viable solution to the problem: get an imitation snakeskin sanshin.
Imitation snakeskin sanshin are cheap, sound great and last long. In fact, because of the above conversation with the sanshin shop owner, the first sanshin I bought was an imitation snakeskin one from a different store that the manager recommended. While the cheapest snakeskin sanshin usually start from around $300 and up, imitation snakeskin sanshin usually start from around $150. Whether the quality is good or bad is completely up to how it was made, and because they’re usually hand made, each sanshin will have a different sound. The only option here is to try playing each of them to find the best one. Once you do get your hands on a good one, you won’t have to worry about the snakeskin ever tearing or having to replace it once the snakeskin starts to wear out, which it does.
I’ve found that this is the best way to deal with the international restrictions, but also the best way to deal with being overseas away from sanshin shops that can repair ripped or worn snakeskin sanshin.
Related post:
Travel with a snakeskin sanshin?
