You might find a message like this on the inside of your package from Bachido!
These partners live in different regions of Japan. Years ago, I attempted to have them ship items to each other in order to assemble everything in one box. However, this not only increased overall shipping costs, but the overall fulfillment time took longer, and sometimes wrong items would be shipped.
Thus, rather than combining everything in one package, it’s actually cheaper and faster for them to ship the items from their location direct to you. Here are the main partners and estimated fulfillment times based on the items they fulfill!
Masahiro Nitta
(Sapporo)
Because Nitta san and his staff don’t have a warehouse, generally they will procure items from their trusted suppliers once your order comes in. For example, If you bought an assortment of accessories on Bachido, Nitta san would call his suppliers and request those accessories. Once the contents your order arrive at his office, Nitta san and his staff will pack and ship your order.
Estimated Fulfillment Time: 2 Weeks
Occasionally certain items will be out of stock. For example, if the supplier is out of Bachi, Nitta san might need to wait an extra week or two for more to be made. Although fulfillment time can be as little as one week, they request a generally estimate of two weeks to accommodate the time of waiting for out of stock items. If you notice your order is taking longer than the estimated time, please feel free write me (kyle [at] bachido [dot] com) to request a status update and I’ll contact Nitta san asap!
Tokyo Wagakki
(Hachioji)
Tokyo Wagakki is one of the last Japanese workshops making high-end shamisen, and is led by third-generation shamisen maker Katsuhiro Otaki. His family (Otaki) is legendary in the shamisen world for creating the best sounding dou (soundbox), and Tokyo Wagakki itself is legendary for their mirror-like polishing technique. (A difficult process which takes two weeks, and creates a mirror-like finish with no lacquer) Needless to say, we’re very fortunate to offer their shamisen direct from the workshop to your hands!
I was introduced to Otaki san via my partner Yanaka san’s father (who was an old-school maker legendary for his shamisen skins) in 2013. When Yanaka san’s father saw my homemade shamisen (#5 to be exact), he asked, “Would you like to visit a real shamisen workshop?” How could I say no!
Tokyo Wagakki never allowed public entry to the workshop before, so initially Otaki san had hesitation about me visiting. However, when he saw my homemade shamisen and book, there was an instant connection. And two years later, Tokyo Wagakki partnered with Bachido to make high quality shamisen, (some of which are so unique they aren’t even available in Japan!) This direct partnership allows us to offer their amazing instruments at a lower price than most shamisen retailers in Japan.
Estimated Fulfillment Time: 9 to 11 Weeks
Tokyo Wagakki itself isn’t a retailer, and thus they only build shamisen when an order comes in. Quite often they can complete a shamisen in 9 to 10 weeks, and then my other partner Yanaka san will take 1 to 2 weeks to attach the skins and ship it to you.
Sometimes fulfillment time is a few weeks longer if they receive a surge of orders in Japan or a craftsman is sick. If you’ve been waiting for your Tokyo Wagakki shamisen, please feel free to write me after the 9th week and I should be able to provide an accurate eta!
Taichi Yanaka
(Ibaraki)
Although workshops like Tokyo Wagakki construct the shamisen frame, it is a separate craftsman who attaches the skin in a process called kawahari. Yanaka san is a master of kawahari, and when you order either a Beginner’s Shamisen or a shamisen from Tokyo Wagakki (Akatsuki, Raven, Starling, or Rose), he is the awesome person who both orders your shamisen from the maker, and expertly attaches the skins!
Shamisen retailer Kinji Katoh (of Shamisen Katoh) introduced Yanaka san to me in 2012. Because Yanaka san went to college at UC Irvine as well as joined his father’s shamisen business after graduating, we instantly connected on both California culture and our mutual interest in keeping shamisen alive and thriving.
Kyle Abbott
(California)
Reskinning a big pile of dou.
So that’s everyone at Bachido tending to the world’s shamisen needs! Quite a small team, isn’t it? We do our very best to ensure orders are fulfilled as fast as possible, but because it’s such a small team, please understand there might be a delay if, for example, Yanaka san is out of town for a week, or someone at Tokyo Wagakki is sick. To accommodate for this, and ensure trust and peace of mind, I am very prompt with replying to customer emails. If you have a question about the status of your order, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I will reply as soon as possible (often within a few hours, or a day if it’s especially busy). Though delays can happen, we are always here for you, and strive to make your shamisen journey as smooth as possible!
Masahiro Nitta (right) and Kyle Abbott (left)
