Kalmar "shamisen" tana nufin kayan kaɗe-kaɗe na gargajiya na Japan wanda ke da dogon wuya, siririyar wuya da jiki mai siffar kusurwa uku. Yana kama da guitar ko lute, kuma ana buga shi da plexrum mai suna bachi. Shamisen yana da igiyoyi guda uku, waɗanda aka yi da siliki ko nailan, kuma ana amfani da su a nau'ikan kiɗan Japan daban-daban, gami da kiɗan jama'a, kiɗan gargajiya, da mashahurin kiɗan.