Paris Sanshin Club

The Paris Sanshin Club was established to promote different aspects of Okinawan culture, specifically through traditional music and dance, and by participating in cultural events related to Japanese culture.

Okinawa, the southernmost archipelago of Japan, has a tropical climate and a mixed culture due to its roots and history linked to China. The Paris Sanshin Club was founded in 2009 by Master KISE Shinjin of the Nomura school during his visit to France.

Today, it brings together around thirty enthusiasts who study the traditional music of Okinawa. The club has been set up at INALCO since December 2013, with the support of the DEJIMA Association, the Okinawa Sanshin Makers Cooperative, and many Okinawan personalities. They perform on various occasions to promote the Sanshin, an instrument still relatively unknown in France.

The Paris Sanshin Club performs folk songs accompanied by the Sanshin, a Japanese lute with three strings, from which the Shamisen is derived. It has a unique sound that evokes the sea, the sun, and Okinawa's fine sand beaches.

Their repertoire includes solemn, festive, melancholic, and pop music, reflecting the specificity of Okinawan culture. The Sanshin also guides the Eisa dance, mainly performed during the Obon festival. It represents a deep-rooted tradition in the island's culture, where dancers shake and bang their Taiko (Japanese drums) to pay tribute to the deceased. The Eisa choreography is from the Okinawan band SONDA Seinenkai.