To be Your Global IT Partner.

transcosmos inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya Ward, Tokyo; President and COO: Masataka Okuda; Securities code: 9715; hereafter, transcosmos) and its group company Ares & Mercury (Headquarters: Shibuya Ward, Tokyo; President: Yoichi Kono) have planned and developed the iPhone application “BEGIN’s Uta Sanshin” in collaboration with AMUSE Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya Ward, Tokyo; President: Tatsuro Hatanaka; hereafter, AMUSE).

“BEGIN’s Uta Sanshin” is an application full of ideas mimicking performances with the sanshin, a musical instrument representing Okinawa and Ryukyu culture (Okinawan music), and which was supervised by members of BEGIN, a group of artists from Okinawa affiliated with AMUSE, who marked their 20th anniversary in 2010. This application makes it possible to fully enjoy sanshin performances and the appeal of BEGIN through features such as playing representative music of BEGIN, like “Nada Sousou” and “Shimanchu-nu Takara”, and creating sessions to the accompaniment of original musical compositions by BEGIN.

<Overview of “BEGIN’s Uta Sanshin” iPhone application>

Instrument (Sanshin)

Performance game (also compatible with iPod touch/iPad)

Recorded music

“Usagi-to-Kame”
“Taro Urashima”
“Tinsagu-nu Hana”
“Kankara Sanshin Umushirumun”
“Nada Sousou”
“Shimanchu-nu Takara”
“Paama-ya Yunta”

Retail price

¥350 (sold in the iTunes App Store)

Images and main functions

1. Uta Sanshin Menu

Uta sanshin mode:

A song (lyric) is displayed where the fingerboard is pressed.
The sanshin can be learned while pressing the song (lyric).

Example playing mode:

Automatically plays along with a Kunkunshi (musical score). Since a suggested tempo (♩) is displayed at the lower left, it is possible to take time to learn by adjusting the tempo on the selected screen.

Practice mode:

The position to be pressed on the fingerboard lights up, making it possible to play by pressing the buttons.

Challenge mode:

A Kunkunshi (musical score) proceeds at the tempo (quarter note) selected on the setting screen and the fingerboard lights up.

Session with BEGIN:

An original BEGIN song is played, making it possible to play along.

* Recorded music:

Usagi-to-Kame, Taro Urashima, Tinsagu-nu Hana, Kankara Sanshin Umushirumun, Nada Sousou, Shimanchu-nu Takara, Paama-ya Yunta

2. Free Playing Mode
Sound is produced by pressing the fingerboard to play like a real sanshin.

3. Interlude
An original “interlude” by BEGIN members is played. By waving the unit while pressing a favorite “interlude”, the sound of the “interlude” will be played, making it possible to add to the excitement at live events, etc.

In addition to the functions listed above, various needed settings are possible to achieve authentic sanshin performances, including tempo/volume control, chromatic scale ON/OFF, fingerboard character display/non-display/mark selection, left-right change of Kunkunshi display position, Uta Sanshin Kunkunshi display ON/OFF and key change (E, F, A).

In June of 2010, transcosmos established a new project team to undertake research and development for an iOS/iPhone/iPad application development and operation service, and it is now providing services as a one-stop solution for application development + operation + analysis. This is not limited to development, but is also coupled with other elements, such as the industry’s largest website construction and operation system, a SEO/SEM operation system with extensive achievements, Web and VOC analysis capabilities, and a data entry service that is building a global framework. In the future, we will continue to offer services that optimize service for our client companies and contribute to the expansion of their businesses.

* transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark in Japan and other countries.
* Other company names, and names of products and services are the trademarks or registered trademarks to those respective companies.

About Ares & Mercury Co., Ltd.

The company was established in 2002. It develops business for mobile contents, mobile advertising media and mobile solutions, and became a consolidated subsidiary of transcosmos in 2008. As a subsidiary of transcosmos and Zappallas, it will continue providing the unique business website development and operation only possible with mobile, based on the website construction and operation know-how of transcosmos and the mobile contents management know-how of Zappallas.

About transcosmos inc.

transcosmos launched operations in 1966 as a pioneer in the information processing outsourcing business. Since then it has combined superior “human resources” with the most up-to-date “technological” capabilities to enhance the competitive strength of its corporate clients by providing them with high value added and superior services. It provides overall IT outsourcing services such as call center services, business process outsourcing services, and digital marketing services either as standalone solutions or as combined services to its corporate clients to optimize their marketing efficiencies, to expand sales and gain new customers. Further, these services have been expanded beyond Japan, globally, centered in Asia. transcosmos aims to be the “Global IT Partner” of its corporate clients to provide them with high quality outsourcing services on a global scale.