箏春庵 soushunan — Local services in Kyoto

It's taken me months to write this review simply because I'm not sure how to put into words the amazing experience we had. My little sister and I were traveling the golden road and got to Kyoto after about a week of traveling. We're both musically gifted (trained classically on piano and violin and had many experiences with instruments from around the world) and the idea of learning the koto piqued both of our interests. I can speak Japanese at a child's level but my sister doesn't speak at all, so I was determined to help her understand to the best of my ability, but it was a relief Harumi-sensei could explain in English. Our frantic arrival in Kyoto meant we couldn't drop off our bags at our ryokan so our host graciously allowed us to leave our bags in the front room. Not only did we get to learn the main song, Sakura, but she also taught us a song called 夕やけ小やけ (Sunset Glow) in a new tuning style. Since my sister and I are equally gifted, we played well together and we surprised our teacher (which was our main goal!) and so it turned out to be a joy. After our lesson, she offered us some quintessential Japanese snacks and played her arrangement of Sakura. Each verse had us dropping our jaws in awe and I tried my best not to make too much noise with the wrappings on the snacks. (It was almost impossible haha) She then joined us for some chats and we talked about culture and tourism and her review of our lesson. I'd love to go back, and I personally plan to, even if I can't bring my sister again, because I'd love to learn more songs and get some practice in. I can't stress enough the importance of a basic cultural understanding before you come to Japan, because even if you only understand the foundations, you'll truly understand the weight of Harumi-sensei's hospitality. It was a wonderful experience and I urge anyone with a sense of musical ability to try your hand at a...

When planning our recent trip to Japan, I thought it would be intriguing to take an introductory koto lesson. After some searching on the internet, I came across Soushanun and its remarkable teacher Harumi Shimazaki. I have a long background playing string instruments. This was helpful to a degree. But for me, the koto was unlike any instrument with which I am competent. The 80 minute lesson was more an introductory experience with some aspects of a lesson. Ms. Harumi, as she wishes to be called, gave an introduction and orientation. We then commenced playing. This involves sightreading what I would call Japanese tablature. There is no western musical notation involved. There are some guides to orient you to the strings both on the instrument and the tablature. But you have to do a lot of rapid learning.

For me this was an outstanding experience. I have not read all the reviews left by others. But participants consistently have given their lessons high marks. I agree. It was fascinating. I think some musical background with stringed instruments is helpful. You certainly need to be able to grasp the basic melody quickly. This is not an experience for someone with no sense of music who wants to dip into Japanese culture. Ms. Harumi is a patient encouraging teacher as well as a stunning performer. If I lived in Kyoto I believe I would take lessons from her. Alas, this is not the case. But I heartily encourage those with some musical talent to jump in without worry and enjoy the...

Being able to try the koto for the first time in soushunan was a truly unique experience. Ms Harumi is an excellent teacher with many years of experience mastering the instrument.

Upon arrival we were told that the hall where we were supposed to have our lesson was unavailable for the day. Ms Harumi was so kind to offer the lesson in her home next door.

Before we even touched the instrument, we were given some important historical information on the koto and on the materials used to make the picks.

When we moved on to try our first notes, Ms Harumi took her time explaining the details of the musical notation and why it was important to play in a certain way. It was nice that she made us feel at ease while at the same time pointing out small errors or bad posture. Throughout the lesson we started to get used to the touch and feel of the instrument and it was really amazing how much progress we had made in such a short time.

Near the end of the workshop we got to enjoy a marvelous arrangement of "Sakura Sakura" by Ms Harumi herself. This performance absolutely blew us away in its elegance as wel as its explosive power. It truly showed what a diverse expressive range...