At a young age, Nitaroh is stricken with an illness that leaves him blind. He inherits the shamisen guitar once used by his mother and is taught its basics by a blind travelling shamisen player. In time with the help of friends old and new, he walks the paths that leads to his ultimate fate - that of founder of the Tsugaru style of shamisen play.
Sound
The shamisen performances are performed by actual masters—no shortcuts.
Direction
Nishizawa makes blindness visceral through sound design alone.
Writing
Biopic that trusts quiet moments over dramatic invention.
Director
Akio Nishizawa
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Nitaboh's birthplace still hosts annual Tsugaru shamisen competitions; the film revitalized tourism there.
Tsugaru-jamisen emerged from blind beggars in feudal Japan—class and disability shaped the style's aggressive, percussive sound.
JP
