Tracing its roots to China, the shamisen was introduced to Japan in the 15th Century. As part of the "Meet in Beijing" International Arts Festival, the instrument has made a return trip to China's Tianqiao Arts Center last Sunday, with a special performance by master Tsugaru shamisen player Hiromitsu Agatsuma.

With only a shamisen, a drum set and a piano, Agatsuma and his band presented a time-traveling concert.

Born in 1973, Agatsuma began studying the Tsugaru shamisen – which originated on the Tsugaru Peninsula in present-day Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan – at the age of six. Since his early childhood, he frequented in various shamisen competitions and won many prizes, subsequently receiving high recognition in the field of traditional Japanese music.

In 2001, he made his major debut with an eponymous album, "AGATSUMA". Since then, he took part in a series of vibrant experiments with musicians of different genres from the world... cementing his reputation as a leader of a new generation shamisen players.

"Tsugaru shamisen was first documented in the 19th Century. Because it has some of the same elements as jazz and rock, Tsugaru shamisen is great for improvised performances. Many people think the shamisen is only played by seniors for seniors. Thirty years ago, I started to combine rock music with shamisen to change this mindset," said Hiromitsu Agatsuma.

In 2018, Agatsuma released "NuTrad", his most recent album after a three-year hiatus. Wanting, as he puts it, to "surprise the world with a traditional instrument", he mixes Shamisen with EDM and neo-soul. In the future, Agatsuma hopes to turn his attention to Asian music as well.

"I have always blended Western music elements with shamisen. In the future, I will turn my focus to Asian countries, working with Asian music. I want to start a musical dialogue with the whole world," Hiromitsu Agatsuma added.

EDM, neo-soul or jazz, Hiromitsu Agatsuma has wowed the world with a bold and sophisticated revolution on the three-stringed lute. Having the biggest respect for the traditional music of Japan, he uses the 600-year-old shamisen to shine a new light in the fast-paced world.