On the way back from work today I stopped at Zampa beach in Yomitan for the sunset time. This is at about 5 minutes drive from Asoviva and it is one of our favorite spots on island to watch the sunset. I decided to post this picture as I believe this is what you need after a day at work. This is Okinawa, and Yomitan in our opinion is one of the best place on island where you can find the right mix of culture, nature, art and of course music. Okinawa summer starts in late May ending in November, this paradise welcomes all people who are willing to visit an awesome, safe, green and blue, cultural place. So for us in Asoviva we really wish all of you can stop by our shop for a cup of tea with our friendly staff.

As maybe some of you already knows we just held our Asoviva sanshin contest on our Facebook page. As it has been our first time we didn’t have many entries but we decided to hold it anyway and we did the right thing. We have got so many new friends from all over the world, and we had so much fun for about 2 weeks! Performers where from Okinawa (Yoko, the winner), Australia (Lyndie) and Dosy from Indonesia.. Yoko got 30 likes on our page and we are going to send her our beautiful creation Island 夜の森　(Yoru no mori)!!! This is a beautiful newWood Sanshin and we are so glad to present her our instrument so that she can make us proud with her talent. We are thinking to hold a new contest at the end of this year so visit our Facebook page and stay updated!
“thank you very much!! Im glad that i could peform in this good oppotunity. Im going back to japan next month… Im going back to okinawas in this year but I dont know when… but I would like to visit you when I go back to okinawa!” Yoko San

As we are holding the first Asoviva Sanshin Contest, we are very pleased to invite all of you to check this Japan Update issue at page 3! Japan Update is the main weekly newspaper for english speaking people in Okinawa and on this issue there’s an article about us!!! You can also check the web site www.japanupdate.com! We are very happy about this and we would like to say thank you to JU staff for this beautiful opportunity. In the same time we would like to thank all of you who have been in touch with us for infos about our contest! As you know we are holding the first Asoviva Sanshin Contest and the best sanshin player will receive a FREE NewWoodSanshin (for details check our website or our facebook page).
So far we received mails from Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Usa and Italy most of you asking something like “I am still a beginner, can I join the contest?” the answer is YES!!! This contest is not a pro contest, people who will judge your performance are friends and friends of friends on our facebook page, so they will choose your performance according to their taste or mood, anyway they won’t judge your technique or something like that, so…
don’t think too much, do it! Send us your video!
the winner can be you!

Join the First Asoviva Sanshin Contest!!!

Send us your sanshin video by the end of May 2011 and the best sanshin performer will receive a FREE NEW WOOD Sanshin of your choice!!!

How to apply: Go to our website www.asovivasanshin.com and choose the NEW WOOD Sanshin you would like to win (here you can find just some choices). Film yourself playing sanshin (you and only you play) and upload it on YouTube! Send us an email with the sanshin you would like to get along with your details, including name, address, email address, a contact number, and of course your sanshin video or the YouTube link!!! We will upload your video onto our Facebook page and the one receiving the most ”likes” will win a NEW WOOD SANSHIN!!! Free sanshin and free shipping (all over the world)!

..deadline is (Sun) May the 29th 2011…that day we will post all the videos for one week and the one receiving the most “likes” will get a free Sanshin from Asoviva!
.. our dream is that one day this beautiful instrument can be played in all genres of music, so your video can be your own song, a rock, pop, jazz, blues, reggae, bossa nova and of course an okinawan traditional song!
All kind of music and musicians are welcome to the First Asoviva Sanshin Contest!!!

Good luck every one,
and stay updated on Facebook!

All over the world you can find good and bad, cheap and expensive sanshin, so why Asoviva? What is the peculiar characteristic that make an Asoviva Sanshin a unique piece, what is the difference between this shop and all other shop on island and all over the world? Why if you buy a sanshin from us should you feel like your sanshin is some how different from all other instruments? The main reason we are so proud about our gallery shop in Yomitan is that we are the only shop where you have more than 30 different sanshin to choose from. We do sell real and not real snake skin sanshin and we really do care about Tradition but in our shop you can actually find very modern looking instruments without loosing the typical old traditional sound!
Our modern Tropication line sanshin are original designs. They reflect the spirit and beauty of island culture and show the sanshin to truly be a universal instrument. “They look new but the sound look very old” surprised said a customer playing a Tropication sanshin in our gallery shop! This is what we love about this place, this is something that make this place different from other places: the great choice you have to make your instrument a unique instrument still enjoying the Traditional and peculiar sanshin sound.

The weather in Okinawa is finally getting better and all beaches are now open for the season! As Okinawa has so many beautiful, colorful and relaxing beaches we have been waiting for the opening ceremony the whole winter! The water is getting warmer day by day so it’s time to get a nice rest on the beach, now the splashing can finally begin! April the 3rd has been the big day with the opening of the most part of Okinawan beaches, from North to South from East to West plenty of places where you can literally remain speechless in front of the sea!
Our gallery shop is in Yomitan and from our houses till here it’s not easy not to be tempted from driving somewhere else instead of coming to work! From Toguchi to Ufudou, from Zampa to Maeda great choice of beaches where to go!
We wish you an endless summer in Okinawa here from Asoviva!

Last week end the USO Bazaar was held in Camp Foster field house and we joined it!!!
We had so much fun and we had the best chance ever to show our beautiful instruments on base! We sold 14 Sanshin in 3 days! We had booking for Sanshin lessons and we had new customers in our shop this 3 days asking us more about Sanshin and Okinawan music. Could it has been better than this? We wan to say thsnk you to all people stopped by our small shop and to all the one wanted to play a little song with us, we want to say thank you to the USO staff and to all those people that just enjoying our music, dancing with us made this week end the best week end! Thank you all!

Visit us at the USO SPRING BAZAR held in the Camp Foster Field House next weekend!!! Our sanshin are on sale at discounted prices exclusively during the event. Don’t miss this great opportunity!
Up to 20% OFF on New Wood Sanshins!
10% OFF on K.K. Mono and K.K. Capri!
10% OFF on our Master pieces: Hongawa Sanshin Traditional Set and Free Style Set!
We will join the USO SPRING BAZAR
March the 4th: 4-8pm
March the 5th: 10-8pm
March the 6th: 10-8 pm
Visit Asoviva at the USO and enjoy playing Sanshin with our staff!!!

Fun time playing O’ Sole mio!
I couldn’t resist from playing the most popular Italian song with a Sanshin. The sound was quite different from the original performance, and I’m not a good player but still lot’s of fun! Once again you don’t have to a be a very good player to enjoy playing the Sanshin and you really can play all kind of music from different styles and traditions, as I did with this old, popular and very famous Italian song!
Enjoy