Japanese immigrant introduces Shamisen – a Japanese traditional musical instrument – to readers

In cooperation with IC Voice FM97.5 【New Students Report For Sharing -We are in Taiwan】, a series of exciting stories about new immigrants in Taiwan is launched. This episode invites an immigrant from Japan – Shiho Issei (志甫一成) and his Taiwanese wife – Mei Xu (美緒). Shiho Issei is a Shamisen artist and Mei Xu is an artist who draws portraits. Through live performances, Shiho Issei enabled more Taiwanese to get to know Japanese traditional music.

【Taiwan Immigrants' Global News Network】presents this episode in 5 languages including Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian, enabling more readers and listeners to explore the couple’s wonderful journey in being artists in Taiwan.

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Mei Xu is experienced in drawing cartoon portraits. (Photo / Provided by Shiho Issei)

Shiho Issei started learning Shamisen when he was 16 years old. Other than being an artist, he has also created a YouTube Channel named “SHIHO ISSEI” to share his great talents in music and life in both Taiwan and Japan. The subtitles are in Chinese and Japanese, attracting more audiences.

The couple got married in 2017 and decided to reside in Pingtung, Taiwan. Both Shiho Issei and Mei Xu develop artistic expertise in different fields. Mei Xu is experienced in drawing cartoon portraits which is very popular among Taiwanese. Besides, she also participated in Pingtung County Multicultural Market which provided portrait drawing services to event-goers. Additionally, she is also an art teacher and freelancer. Those interested in purchasing art from her can contact her via her Facebook Fans page.

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The couple shared their stories as artists to readers. (Photo / Provided by Shiho Issei)

In 2019, the couple joined the “Immigrants' community participation and cultural promotion program” and proposed a “Pingtung Clean Up Challenge”. The inspiration derives from his life in Japan as he attaches great importance to cleanliness. Therefore, students and the public were invited to participate in this project. By keeping the environment clean, caring for the environment, and developing the habit of not littering, he hopes readers will cherish the treasure island – Taiwan – together.