Nagabukuro | purple | Chuuzao

This nagabukuro is pre-owned and has some piling on the outside fabric. There’s a name written on the inside (see photos). It will keep your chuuzao or hosozao shamisen happy and dust-free. It’s made from smooth synthetic satin on the outside and soft molton on the inside.

What’s this for? The nagabukuro is a protective soft sleeve you wrap your shamisen in to protect it from dust and random things flying around at home or on the way in your shamisen case. It’s not a transport bag (if you’re looking for that, check out the gigbags and longcases).

The nagabukuro is a rectangular soft sleeve with an opening along two thirds of the long side and a long strap. You wrap it around your shamisen when you put it away after practice.

How to use this: Insert your shamisen along with the washi bag, if you have one, through the opening so the dou sits in the closed part of your nagabukuro. Slide the neck and tenjin in until the whole instrument is covered. Turn the opening at the tenjin to the front side of the tenjin. The top part should now look like a hoodie! Close the flaps you created (it looks like a bathrobe now) and start wrapping the long strip around the neck. If it’s very long, you can criss-cross it back down a bit. Tuck the end of the band under – done!