Shamisen (samisen)

[Yagyu Jubei Takemori]

Anyone know if there is much on how to play one of these instruments? and where one might find one?

It is the 3 stringed "lute" that was introduced mid 16th century from Okinawa (then Ryukyu).

[Saionji Shonagon]

You might try searching the forum at Immortal Geisha as I know the subject comes up over there:
www.immortalgeisha.com/ig_bb/index.php

[solveig]

Noble Cousin!

Greetings from Solveig! You can order a new shamisen from Japan by using rakuten:

en.rakuten.co.jp/ and typing 三味線 into the search box.

The following appear to be introductory kits for those interested in studying the shamisen:

en.item.rakuten.com/gakkiten/10057078/
en.item.rakuten.com/gakkiten/10057079/

There are introductory books on how to play the shamisen published in Japanese.

Here is a book which claims to be an easy introduction to playing the shamisen:

4117980041

Here is a book which calls itself the easiest shamisen lesson:

4872257413

Here is an illustrated book on shamisen with an emphasis on "posture"

4903110028

Here is a pair of introductory books for several traditional instruments:

4117980505 and 4636720237

Here is a pair of introductory shamisen books which focus on Okinawan folk songs:

4891882999 and 4810833720

Here is a pair of books of Japanese folk songs:

4889863001 and 4889863362

The following is a book of some 765 Japanese folk or otherwise traditional songs.

B00283FHSM

You can buy these things from www.amazon.co.jp/
It works like all the other amazon web pages and you can make it display standard text in English.