Harue Momoyama is a great innovator of Japanese shamisen playing. She studied under the Living National Treasure Senju Miyazono IV, formed the Momoyama school of shamisen and has reseached and played ancient Japanese folk songs and other Asian traditional music. Joruri is narrative storytelling accompanied by shamisen.

1. (Tomonaga) Joruri 2. Enju Dokuhaku 3. (Yoritomo) Joruri 4. Enju Dokuhaku 5. (Yasha Jusui) Joruri 6. Shuka

First album from Momoyama, on which she sings and plays shamisen on tracks inspired by modern literature. Ryuichi Sakamoto plays synthesizer on Koku no Funauta, produced by founder of Music Magazine and journalist Toyo Nakamura.

1. Sora mo Nagareru 2. Yugure 3. Hi no Nagasa 4. Aki no Hi no 5. Shigure 6. Naion 7. Koku no Funauta


Price:   £23.99

Third album, includes a collaboration with the late Syrian oud player Hamza El Din on tracks 7 and 12.

1. Ise no Koman 2. Nawa 3. Oni no Onna no Komoriuta 4. Itsutsugi no Komoriuta 5. Futanobori Sangenkyoku 6. Aki no Iro 7. Lamma Bada Yatasanna 8. Hitorigurashi 9. Moriya Orin 10. Tono no Kappabuchi 11. Yama no Shunju 12. Uraura Tsubaki 13. Yoshinoyama

First album, from 1999, from the shamisen playing brothers now released onto SHM-CD. One of their best and simplest albums.


Price:   £20.99

Second album, originally released in 2000, is probably better than the first, with more ideas and variety, but before those ideas became slightly forced on the later albums.

Chikuzan Takahashi was born in 1910 in Aomori, northern Japan, and died in 1998. He is probably Japan's greatest Tsugaru Shamisen player, the style of playing that has become known in Japan and around the world recently through Yoshida Brothers, Agatsuma and others. This exciting tradition derived from blind musicians in northern Japan who roamed the villages singing and narrating stories. This CD features fourteen superb performances by Chikuzan Takahashi.


Price:   £16.99

Michio Miyagi (1894-1956) almost singlehandedly brought koto music into the 20th century, creating a new style of music based on western ideas. His compositions of new hogaku rank alongside his western classical music counterparts such as Debussy. Blind from early childhood, he tragically died during his creative prime falling from a speeding train. Nevertheless he left behind a formidable body of work. This CD compiles seven of his masterpieces, including his most famous piece, Haru No Umi, plus other tracks including Sakura Henso-kyoku, Kazoeuta Henso-kyoku and Sarashikaze-tegoto.

The classic composition Rokudan performed by the great Michio Miyagi. Five other pieces including Chidori no Kyoku, Godan Jo and Midare.


Price:   £23.99

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:   £23.99

Chikuzen biwa player Mari Uehara narrates and plays episodes from the classic Tale of The Heike. 7 tracks.

Traditional lullabies, children's songs, and other lyrical songs performed on the fue, the Japanese lute by a master of the tradition. Accompanied by biwa, koto, three other fue players and taiko drums. 15 tracks.

Price:   £23.99

Classic recording of Japanese buddhist chants featuring compostions by Ushio Torikai, female composer resident in New York and the Buddhist monks choir Shomyo Yonin no Kai, featuring Kojun Arai and Yusho Kojima of the Shingon sect and Koshin Ebihara and Jiko Kyoko of the Tendai sect. 8 tracks.

Re-mastered SHM-CD (Super High Material) of 1983 recording by one of Japan's top percussionists. Toshiyuki Tsuchitori has played with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Toshinori Kondo, Derek Bailey and many others throughout an illustrious career. His special interest is ancient percussion instruments from Japan, and on this album recorded at the top of Mount Unebi in Nara in 1983 he plays bronze bells dating back to the Yayoi period, about 2000 years ago. Comes with English liner notes by Tsuchitori. 1. Tatae 2. Ryusui 3. Unebi 4. Ibuki 5. Raijin 6. Reimei.

Price:   £22.99

Re-mastered, re-released on SHM-CD, recorded in 1986 at the top of Mount Aonoyama in Kagawa, with this time Tsuchitori playing various ancient stone percussion instruments. With English liner notes and new liner notes by Tsuchitori.

1. Yuraki 2. Seseraki 3. Aoki 4. Soyoki.

Tsuchitori plays his ancient percussion instruments inside a prehistoric cave adorned with paintings in the Lot region of France and a cave in the famous town of Cognac. 16 tracks.


Price:   £22.99

Perhaps Tsuchitori is best known for playing pottery drums, a type that are believed to be like those played during the Jomon period (B.C.2500-3000). This album was recorded in Nagano in 1990 and comes with English liner notes and notes by Tsuchitori himself. 15 tracks.

The wonderful Japan resident Chinese erhu (violin) player has released two best of albums, one of eastern tunes the other from the west. This volume of traditional and contemporary tunes from the east come mainly China and Japan. The contemporary material includes compositions by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who Jiang Jian Hua played with on the Last Emperor, and Kitaro.


Price:   £19.99

Western classical music played brilliantly on the Chinese erhu. Jiang Jian Hua has previously performed with the Berlin Philharmonic.