The koto is the Japanese floor zither, usually with 13 silk or nylon strings and a body made from paulownia wood, one piece of which is hollowed to form a sound box. At the end of the 17th century, Kengyo Ikuta founded a style of koto playing based on jiuta shamisen. He combined koto with shamisen (until this time it was used to accompany vocals) and emphasized the instrumental part. Later in Ikuta music, a second koto solo line was added, known as kyomono.The Ikuto koto itself is longer and narrower than the standard modern koto. Toshiko Yonekawa is a Living National Treasure, now 92 years old. This CD contains 6 tracks from the Ikuta repertory.

The biwa is the Japanese lute.The heikebiwa narrative tradition was founded in the kamakura period, based around the stories of battles between the Heike and Genji clans. In the Edo period, other styles developed, the most important being under the Satsuma musicians of the Shimizu clan of present day Kagoshima. When the priviliges of the blind performers were abolished in the Meiji period, some of the goverment officials came from Satsuma and brought the satsuma biwa tradition, and many people took it up as a hobby.This CD features 3 historical stories, with Kinji Tsuruta and three other musicians.


Price:   £22.99

The shakuhachi is the Japanese end blown bamboo flute. The komosu (wandering priests) developed the instrument and music. They wore baskets on their heads and can still be occasionally seen on the streets of Japan. The original Kyoto komosu group was known as the Myoan school. The teachers in Tokyo called it kinko. This is a CD of 8 tracks from the kinko style, solo, duo, trio and quintet. Superbly recorded ethereal performances. 1. Reiho 2. Shika no Tone 3. San An 4. Hudo no 3 5. Sekishun 6. Kai 7. Pentagonia II 8. Tamuke

Tsuzumi is the term for hand beaten drums. Nagauta, or long song, is the heart of kabuki music, the main lyrical shamisen music from Tokyo. The smaller drum is called the kotsuzumi and the larger drum otsuzumi. Nagauta grew alongside kabuki, as the theatre matured and dances became longer. This CD features five tracks by a master of tsuzumi, with vocals in the nagauta style. These include the kabuki dance classic Sagi Musume and the classic drama, Kanjin-cho.


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Gidayu is the music of the bunraku (puppet theatre) founded in Osaka by Gidayu Takemoto (1651-1714). His singing was so powerful that gidayu became the apex of narrative shamisen music. In the sixteenth century the joruri biwa narrative tradition developed. In the Edo period, some shamisen narrators were former biwa players and joruri came to be known as any one of many narrative shamisen music. On this CD are two narratives from the bunraku (and kabuki) play Chushingura sung by a gidayu master, Tsudayu Takemoto, who was born in 1904. An exciting and powerful form of music and singing.

In the 20th century, koto music was successful in creating a new style of music based on western ideas. This is largely due to Michio Miyagi (1894-1956). Blind at birth he fell from a train and tragically was killed. His most famous piece is the koto, shakuhachi duet, Haru no Umi, (The Spring Sea). This CD features this piece together with five other classic tunes from a legend of Japanese hogaku music.


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Kinichi Nakanoshima (1904-84) is the Yamada koto school equivalent of Michio Miyagi, displaying that new Japanese classical music was the equal of contemporary Western classical music. The Yamada school was founded in the Edo period by Kengyo Yamada, and, together with Ikuta, is one of the main koto schools. On this CD, the genius of the Yamada style koto plays 5 masterpieces.

Nagauta, sometimes called the heart of kabuki music, features noh drums and flute (hayashi) alongside the shamisen. Fue, the seven holed bamboo flute, was used only as an accompanying instrument, until Sanzaemo Takara established the fue as a solo instrument. Six tracks.


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The sanjugen is the 30 stringed koto, the Japanese floor zither which in its classic form has 13 strings. The range of notes and sounds is therefore wider. This CD features 3 tracks, played with an amazing technique.

Goro Yamaguchi (1933-1999) was a national treasure, and master of the shakuhachi, the bamboo flute. The kinko school developed in Tokyo, out of the Meian school of the original Kyoto komosu monks. Itcho Yoshida and Kodo Araki revitalized the instrument after it was outlawed as a ritual tool of the fuke sect. Kinko limits itself to 36 honkyoku, solo or original pieces and numerous gaikyoku, ,mostly ensemble pieces. This CD features 4 tracks, one of which, Tsuru no Sugumori, was selected to be taken on the NASA space craft, Voyager 2.


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While the kinko style developed in Tokyo, the Tozan style started up in the Osaka area. It was founded by Nakao Tozan (1876-1956) who successfully popularized the shakuhachi, especially among young people in Kansai.Tozan moved to Tokyo in 1922 and joined forces with koto player Michio Miyagi. Many Tozan players are active in the field of contemporary music, including the great player Hozan Yamamoto. This CD consists of five of his superb performances.

Tadao Sawai (1937-97) was one of the greatest contemporary players and composers of koto (sokyoku) music. He performed around the world and his compositions are some of the most widely performed koto pieces. His music is distinguished by its intensity and dramatic quality, with an element of airiness. Themes range from the more traditonal, (seasons) and more personal expressions. This CD features five masterpieces.


Price:   £22.99

In koto ensemble music, or the trio, sankyoku, the shamisen is known as the sangen. The Yamada sangen is smaller than the Ikuta sangen. The plectrum used on the sangen is different to other shamisens, it also has a heavy bridge, and the tone is rather delicate, in order to blend easily with the koto. This CD features four tracks of sangen.

The Tokiwazu style of shamisen was founded by Mojidayu Tokiwazu (1709-81) and is a narrative form of music most associated with kabuki. It has a softer vocal style, and a less percussive style of playing the shamisen with a more resonant tone. This CD features two narrative episodes, with shamisen and vocals.

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The shakuhachi has proved an extremely versatile instrument, and has been fused with many other instruments and styles, from flamenco to classical music rock and jazz.This CD features eight tracks of shakuhachi played with the Contemporary Sound Orchestra on western instruments.

Three tracks of fue (flute) plus the hand beaten hourglass shaped drums, kotsuzumi, otsuzumi and the drum, shime-daiko, which are all used to accompany noh theatre. The body of kotsuzumi is made of cherry wood, the otsuzumi is similar but larger with carved rings on the outside. The taiko is a barrell shaped drum. Meisho Tosha is one of the top fue players.


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The great Tadao Sawai (1937-97) did much to develop koto music as a performer and composer. On this CD, the Tadao Sawai ensemble is joined by the Colombia orchestra, mixing koto with western instrumentation. Sixteen tracks. 1. Sakura Sakura 2. Kojo no Tsuki 3. Hana 4. Mari no Tonosama 5. Soshun Fu 6. Sato no Aki 7. Antagata Dokosa 8. Aka Tombo 9. Naishobanashi 10. Amefuri Otsuki 11. Nanatsu no Ko 12. Momiji 13. Rokudan no Shirabe 14. Haru no Ogawa 15. Toryanse 16. Fuyu no Yo.

Kineya is an esteemed name in the world of shamisen. Rokuzaemon X Kineya and Kisaburo II Kineya were stars of the Edo period. This CD features eight tracks of shamisen plus fue, tsuzumi percussion and other instruments.


Price:   £22.99

Nagauta (Long Song) evolved alongside kabuki. Noh drums, flute (hayashi) are part of the ensemble, which can be likened to an orchestra with strings. This CD features one story with three singers, shamisen, fue, kotsuzumi, otsuzumi and a kyogen (comical noh interlude) singer.

One episode of joruri, a term meaning narrative shamisen music. A fascinating 2 CD set.


Price:   £39.99

Noh is Japan's classical dance drama. It is a restrained theatre, very atmospheric, but without, by western standards, strong story lines. This CD features one play, featuring the perfomers including the musicians. 2 CD set.

A great of the shakuhachi kinko style, Reibo Aoki formed a group with Katsuya Yokoyama and Hozan Yamamoto, helping to spawn a shakuhachi boom about 40 years ago. He is known for his powerful and rich sound. He is designated as a Living National Treasure.

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Satomi Fukami is a disciple of Kyokyo Miyagi, from the Michio Miyagi lineage. Four tracks at times intense at time light.

Kagura is shinto religious music and dances, featured at Imperial Palace functions (mikagura) and shrines (satokagura). This CD features four tracks, featuring the kagurabue, the six holed flute used in kagura.

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One of the most popular nagauta stories, Sagimusume (The Heron Maiden) is also a famous kabuki play. This CD features two other stories including Sukeroku (another kabuki play) featuring singing, shamisen, fue and tsuzumi percussion. A truly fascinating CD.