March 2012, Taichung. Goro and Chris taught me how to play the sanshin. First, I used the kankara sanshin, then Goro handed me the real one. Picking its strings, I was amazed by how clear the sound was. Reading the music score and making a sound felt like learning a new language. I promised myself to buy a sanshin when I was back in Tokyo. I wanted to learn to play a song called Nishinjo Bushi, a sad song about a female prostitute waiting for a lover/customer by the gate of a red light district in which she is confined. It was my favorite Okinawan song.