Japanese artisans showcase Olympic collection under virus cloud
Today
05:51 am JST
Today | 06:29 am JST
TOKYO
Craftsman Kimiaki Kono was hoping the Tokyo Olympics would be a chance to win new fans for Japan's lute-like shamisen, but the pandemic has left things on a sour note.
"I want people around the world to know about this instrument," the 62-year-old told AFP at a Tokyo workshop where he builds the three-stringed shamisen, used in Japanese art forms such as kabuki theater. "We would have hosted a great number of visitors in Japan with the opportunity of the Olympics."
So the decision to bar overseas spectators left him "very disappointed".