Abstract
Ryukyu karen is a relatively new 13-string musical instrument designed by Komesu Seijiro from Okinawa in 2003. Similar to Okinawan sanlele, it hybridizes taishōgoto, Western guitar, and Okinawan sanshin, embodying Okinawan cultural spirit of ‘chanpuruu’. This paper is based on fieldworks and research that existed, in the views of ‘art therapy’ and ‘anthropology of the good’ , and argues that its soothy melody, swinging rhythm, natural soundscape, chords and prolongation sound, rich layers, and clean timbre collectively create a sense of atmosphere, which has been increasingly used in therapeutic practices in recent years. Especially, the intimacy of group musiking, the easy-to-perform, and the social space of public performance enable the disabled and elder minority, who have been exclusive from marginalization. Just like the word karen, which literally means lovely, can be interchanged with Renge (lotus), its sound is metaphorized as joy and sorrow of life with healing power beyond entertainment.
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