Mitsune is an all-female shamisen trio based in Berlin with members from Japan, Australia and Germany. They specialise in the Tsugaru shamisen, a traditional Japanese 3-stringed instrument used by blind folk and travelling musicians of olden Japan. Mitsune performs a vibrant mix of traditional Japanese songs, virtuosic modern repertoire, and original compositions with blues, rock and global music influences. Their performances are engaging and joyful, spiced with vocals, bamboo flute and percussion atop the sounds of the shamisen.
Mitsune can also perform with a traditional Japanese dancer, or expand into a 5-piece band with double bass and percussion.
Since their formation in 2018, Mitsune have performed extensively at festivals, cultural events and concerts across Europe. They released their debut album in 2018, which Songlines Magazines praised as "consistently excellent. If you need a contemporary introduction to the world of Tsugaru shamisen, this is it." Mitsune released their second album Hazama in February 2022, and will be touring throughout Europe this year.
The name Mitsune translates from Japanese as "a sweet sound", but is also a play on the word "mitsu", which indicates three of something – the three strings of a shamisen, three women, three cultures coming together in harmony.
