Fantastic new album from two young musicians of popular songs from the Taisho period (1912-1927) originally performed by Azenbo Soeda and his son Tomomichi Soeda (aka Satsuki Soeda). Oka plays Kankara Sanshin (Okinawan sanshin made from a tin can) while Kobayashi plays 'rappa nikko' a two stringed fiddle and goros drum, with some accompaniment on tuba (Takero Sekijima), clarinet (Kanji Nakao) trumpet and accordion. This album conveys the atmosphere of a bygone era, and wonderful to hear such young performers doing the songs so well. 1. Tokyo Bushi 2. Rappa Bushi 3. Omoidashita 4. Murasaki Bushi 5. Shin Dondon Bushi 6. Minatouya 7. Akirame Bushi 8. Strike Bushi 9.Fukko Bushi 10. Asakusa Uta 11. Makkuro Bushi 12. Omaeto naraba Dokomademo 13. Nonki Bushi 14. Satsuki no Uta 15. Horohoro Bushi

Rin' are a female trio playing shakuhachi, koto and shamisen that they mix with drum machines, keyboards and other western sounds, into a kind of ethereal new age sound. This is a 6 track mini album combined with a DVD of music clips. Lightweight pop with 'exotic' sounds added in.


Price:   £18.99

Tone are Yukihiro Mitsuka (shakuhachi and group leader), Mihoko Ono (koto) and Ryoichi Soyama (acoustic guitar, synthesizer. Their music combines traditional instruments with western sounds. While interesting in places, their sound is overall quite lightweight bordering on BGM elevator music. 1. Annupuri 2. Kakko no Mori 3. Kaze 4. Chikyu-Misaki 5. Kamuy 6. Yoko 7. Shuppatsu 8. Ishikari-gawa

In much the same vain as the first album. Fairly lightweight songs combining shakuhachi and koto with guitar and synthesizers. 1. Harunire no Ki 2. Tokachino 3. Toypira 4. The Music of Earth 5. Sunayama 6. Hamanasu 7.Daichi 8. Toya 9. Yuki Monogatari 10. Hoshi no Furu Sato.


Price:   £18.99

The group are based in Hokkaido and draw inspiration from the mountains, seasons and the general beauty of their environment. On this album are some exciting moments as well some other rather forgetable ones. 1. Kita Hiko 2. Tono 3. Natsuame 4. Komori Uta 5. Kiri no Hi 6. Yume Tome 7. Hana Densetsu 8. Kyoshu 9. Tabi 10. Michi

Latest album, 11 tracks of healing, new age meets Japanese traditional.


Price:   £18.99

Mini album with four tracks one for each of the seasons. 1. Fuyu (Winter) 2. Haru (Spring) 3. Natsu (Summer) 4. Aki (Autumn).

Mugen is a group formed by young kabuki musician and singer Katsushiro Kineya in 2000. The group consists of vocals, accompanied by shamisen, tsuzumi (small drum) fue, lute, taiko plus drums, guitar and synthesizer. Sort of kabuki music for the modern age. 1. Kageroi 2. Toaru Koyoi 3. Yuki no Yamatoji 4. Sakura Zukiyo 5. Dan no Ura.


Price:   £18.99

Hideki Togi plays the sho (bamboo mouth organ) and hichiriki (flute) instruments used in the stately court music, gagaku. He played the traditional music with the Imperial Palace Gagaku Orchestra, but has become much better known for breathing new life into the instruments by playing a kind of new age music. On this album he sinks to new depths (or reaches new heights depending on your point of view) playing covers of western classics, and Japanese pop hits. These include Romeo & Juliet (Prokofiev), Turandot (Puccini) and Japanese pop songs Sweet Memories and Yozora no Muko (SMAP).

Toru Fukuhara learned fue (seven holed bamboo flute) from the great Sanzaemon Takara, who established the fue as a solo instrument. Although usually a strictly traditional player, Fukuhara has turned into a superb innovator on this CD in repetroire and combinations of instruments. Four tracks. 1. Bach Chaconne on fue 2. Jiuta Yuki with hayashi vocals. 3. Kusano Inori - together with shakuhachi, kanze ryu noh chanting and two other fue players. 4. Sanju so Kyoku, performed together with shamisen and piano.


Price:   £18.99

Stunning double CD and one of the releases of the year 2000. One CD is of traditional gagaku, ancient court music, somewhat eerie in quality. The other is Eno's interesting take on the music. Originally to accompany a book, the CD has become a runaway success in Japan. Elaborate, mirror image artwork, makes it difficult to decipher the text including English notes notes written by Eno.

Yasukazu Kano is a player of the shinobue, a small bamboo flute, who used to be a member of the world famous Kodo. This album was inspired by the beautiful surrounding of Sado island, where Kodo are based. Japanese traditional music is mixed with elements of jazz and comtemporary music, in various collaborations. 11 tracks.


Price:   £18.99

As a solo artist or with his group Reigakusha, Ko Ishikawa has been expending the realms of gagaku and his instrument, the sho, taking the music in interesting directions. Recording partners include Otomo Yoshihide, and even Brian Eno and Ishikawa is a regular perfomer at European festivals. This fascinating album includes classical gagaku, his own compositions with poetry reading and guest biwa player, Kahoru Nakamura.

Hideki Togi has Japanese court music, gagaku, running through his veins.His family have been engaged with preserving and developing this ancient musical style for over 1300 years. Some might say, for the last few years Togi has been engaged in watering down the tradition, by turning gagaku into a so-called 'healing' pap. Togi has combined his hichiriki (a gagaku wind instrument) with synthesizers and western instruments in an attempt to bridge the gap between east and west, take an ancient sound into the modern world....you get the picture. On this latest album, Togi teams up with a 6 piece Chinese group called Bao from Shanghai who are playing a variety of Chinese traditional instruments. This makes perfect sense as the roots of gagaku lie in China. Nevertheless, it's still heavily marketed as healing / new age. CD extra comes with live footage of Togi and Bao playing together.


Price:   £18.99

Excellent album by Japanese small flute (shinobue)player. Improvisational pieces, sometimes joined by Keisuke Ohta, the fine violin player with Cicala Mvta and Soul Flower.

12 Girls Band from China become popular in Japan (and in the USA) for being rather attractive girls playing Chinese music on traditional instruments. Groups who sound and look a bit like 12 Girls Band have now emerged. Enter Sakura Project, 6 girls playing Japanese traditional instruments, biwa, koto, sho, plus wood bass, flute and vibraphone. They play a mixture of Oriental and Western tunes. It all sounds very nice on this mini CD. Unfortunately the final outcome is likely they will disappear as fast as they emerged.


Price:   £16.99

New Age / Healing / Japanese Traditional female duo on koto and flute play a bit of classical (Debussy) a bit of jazz (Take Five) and some Japanese lyrical tunes (Sakura). 10 tracks. 1.Haru no Yoru 2. Shunka 3. Byakko 4. Sosuika 5. Uyuudai 6. Amairo no Kami no Otome 7. Oborozukiyo 8.Take Five 9. Muso 10. Sakura

Zan are three young cool image conscious musicians who've learned to play Japanese traditional instruments such as shakuhachi, fue, koto and junana-gen (seventeen stringed koto). On this mini-album with 6 tracks they play East Asian contemporary tunes on those instruments. Melodic and easy on the ear.

Price:   £14.99

Welcome compilation of the young musicians forging the movement of the so-called 'New Wave' of traditional music. Includes Yoshida Brothers and Shinichi Kinoshita (tsugaru shamisen), Hiroe Morikawa( koto), Katsuaki Sawada & Shigeri Kitsu (minyo-original folk), Yukihiro Isso (nokan flute),Shuichi Hidano (wadaiko drums), Rei Gaku Sha (gagaku-court music).

Young guys playing shakuhachi and koto (including the 17 string bass one). The music is a sort of watered down Japanese 'traditional' easy listening with drum machines and electric bass on some tracks. Mini CD of 7 tracks, plus DVD with 2 video clips.


Price:   £12.99

Compilation of Japanese traditional 'healing' music played on koto, shakuhachi etc by young musicians. These include Kokohana (25 string koto unit) Hideaki Matsumoto (shakuhachi) Sakura Project (Japanese traditional and classical instruments). 8 tracks, mostly original tunes.

Another compilation of Japanese traditional meets New Age, this one of lyrical songs and lullabies including from Okinawa and Amami. 8 tracks from Sakura Project, Kokohana, Akito Obama (shakuhachi) and T's Colour among others.


Price:   £13.99