Japanese Music: Yoshida Brothers

I just discovered these amazingly talented musical brothers from Noboribetsu, Hokkaido in Northern Japan. Masters on the shamisen, a traditional Japanese 3-stringed instrument, they fuse Japanese folk music with techno, rock, and other genres from around the world to make extremely powerful and inspiring music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERXiliJfdI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJk8mB7DIS4&feature=related

While the earthquake,tsunami, and destruction of the nuclear plants have led to expressions of deep sympathy for Japan over the past week, the way the Japanese people have reacted to the situation with calm and dignity has also earned international admiration. I hope that one day I can travel to the Japan and get to know more about their incredible culture. The impacts of the recent disaster will no doubt have long-term effects, but I also have no doubt that the Japanese will overcome the many challenges they are faced with to pull their country back together.