- M – Bando Mitsusa
- K – Karen Kimura
- M
- Well, like in springtime, we used to perform (at the) Mitsukoshi Department Store, they also had a theater, so in the springtime we used to perform at Mitukoshi. I think it’s called Mitsukoshi Gekijō Theater. And then kondo (next season) Autumn wa (is) one called Ninjū kōdō. And then there’s a time that we performed at the Hibiya Koen (Hibiya Park), have you heard of Hibiya Koen, the park, they also had an indoor stage and outdoor stage. So, I was with a good teacher, I guess, so I was able to perform a lot.
- K
- And didn’t you learn narimono (musical accompaniment and sound effects) too, studied in Japan?
- M
- Oh yes. Narimono. tsuzumi (drum over the shoulder), taiko (drum), and then nagauta (long song vocal, accompanied by shamisen) wa nagauta teacher.
- K
- because they didn’t have record players and the music or cassettes. They taught by singing and playing the shamisen. That was how you learned. And even when I went to Japan and studied in the 50s, that was how I learned. They didn’t readily have records. We learned by shamisen.