Doubukuro | purple

This doubukuro is as good as new! It protects your dou. The size fits all dou sizes. The outer fabric is chirimen – a traditional way to manipulate fabric in the production process to add tiny crinkles and creases that give the fabric a super nice touch and an elegant subdued shine. It doesn’t have any inner lining.

What’s this for? The doubukuro is a protective soft sleeve you wrap your shamisen’s dou in to protect it from dust and random things flying around at home or on the way in your shamisen case.

The doubukuro is a rectangular short soft sleeve with an opening at the top and strips to tie it shut. You wrap it around your shamisen’s  dou when you put it away after practice. It’s comparable to the nagabukuro but it’s a lot quicker to wrap. The downside: Your neck, tenjin and itomaki are exposed to environmental hazards (dust, cat paws, insect scat).

How to use this: Insert your shamisen along with the washi bag, if you have one, through the opening so the dou is fully covered by the doubukuro. Wrap the strings around to tie it shut.  Tuck the end of the string under or make a knot or a bow – done!