#Sayo Komada

Dual-style shamisen artist, trained in both Tsugaru and Nagauta traditions. She began studying Tsugaru shamisen at age seven, followed by minyō folk singing at ten. At fifteen, she won first prize at the 9th Tsugaru Shamisen National Championship. A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts (2022), she was granted the name “Kineya Goshikoma” in 2023 by the fourth-generation head of the Kineya Gosaburō school.

Blending tradition with innovation, her viral Instagram videos — featuring shamisen renditions of Western guitar riffs — have drawn attention for their bold crossover between classical Japanese music and pop culture. In 2024, she released her debut album Tsukimae Koiuta and performed at the 125th Anniversary of Japanese Immigration to Peru, further expanding her international presence.