 Takahashi Chikuzan, who was also a "bosama", was also a highly regarded practitioner of the genre and began touring Japan in 1964.Tsugaru-jamisen is played on a larger shamisen called "futazao" with a thicker neck and thicker strings than those used for most other styles.Tsugaru-shamisen is easy to recognize by its percussive quality (the plectrum striking the body of the instrument on each stroke) and the lilt of the rhythms performed.