90% of the text printed on the front and rear covers is in Japanese so the amount of information I can provide is limited.
JAPANESE MUSIC FOR KOTO AND SHAKUHACHI
Toshiba Records
Cat# TH 7002
1960's (based on this series of catalogue numbers e.g TH7005 was released in 1964)
Japanese release
Cover is in very good condition, no writing, no seam splits, no tears with only light edge wear from normal handling. Note the use of translucent (you can see your fingers through the vinyl when held to the light) Red vinyl. This is not a marketing gimmick but actually a specially formulated vinyl that Toshiba created, they called it "Evergreen" vinyl, considered much "quieter" than the Western vinyl of the day and often sought out by collectors.
New inner plastic liner sleeve
Vinyl record is in very good condition, visually inspected under a white halogen light source and I can see NO marks or scratches at all, either side although it is a little tough seeing them because of the colouring. I then played this release ENTIRELY, both sides, and there are no significant issues with surface noise or click/pops although I did hear a couple of tracks with low level click/pops. I would also agree that this vinyl plays more quietly than 'normal' black vinyl.
New outer protective sleeve
MUSICIAN - TRACK:
Yatsuhashi Kengyo – Rokudan No Shirabe
Yatsuhashi was originally a player of the shamisen, but later learned the koto from a musician of the Japanese court. Originally restricted to the court,
Yatsuhashi is credited as the first musician to introduce and teach the koto to general audiences.
Inzan Tanaka – Variations On A Lullaby, Toge Hachi-Ri
I cannot find out much information about Inzan e.g instruments played etc
Osamu Shimizu – Six Fragments
I cannot find out much information about Osamu except that he was a composer and passed away in 1986 aged 75 so he would have been performing on this track at around 50 years of age
Kengyo Yoshizawa – Chidori
Composer (primarily of music for the Koto) and musician
Naoharu Yamakawa – Fantasia On "Nanbu Ushi-OI Uta"
Composer and player of the Shakuhachi
Hozan Yamamoto – Kuon No Hikari
Extremely well known Japanese composer and musician (Shakuhachi) and in 2002 the Japanese Government declared Hozan a "National Treasure"
This audio clip is NOT 'Kuon No Hikari' but gives an idea of Hozan's composing/performing
