FREQUENTLY ASKED TAISHOKOTO QUESTIONS

C. What ignited the taishokoto idea?

Many introductory taishokoto books explain that Mr. Morita acquired his taishokoto idea with reference to the key-mechanism of the type writer that he might have seen in foreign countries and the infusion of the two stringed original Japanese harp or koto. Another idea occurred around 1989. It was said that the taishokoto had been invented with reference to the key-mechanism of a piano. In spite of the varying opinion regarding the key-mechanism of typewriter or piano being the inspiring idea, it was found in the book "Ohsu daifukucho", published in 1980, that the typewriter idea was mentioned 9 years before the piano idea.　「Aichi-ken 20 Seiki no Kiroku (The record of the 20th century in Aichi prefecture) edited the Meiji & Taisho era」published in 1991 mentioned that Mr. Morita got into his head to apply keybord mechanism of piano to taishokoto by fixing something like key of typewriter・・・.　We think this expression may be proper. Because a writer often deletes details in order to express the writing clearly to readers with limited conditions. Then, as the result, it may have caused the piano keyboard idea and key-mechanism of typewriter.

In England, where Mr. Morita might have visited and stayed at the Pitt Rivers museum located in Oxford University. It has a musical instrument called （#17.）" violina-zither" . Printed music scales on its body, pin-typed two winders are looked almost like taishokoto. It is said that it is played with a bow. Today, some taishokoto players in Japan play with a bow instead of the plectrum. This violina-zither makes us wonder about the origin of the taishokoto. Still another possible inspiration exists. Could it be that when Mr. Morita visited the United States on his way to Europe he may have seen （#18.）Appalachians dulcimer (Mountain dulcimer) .　If he saw it, it may have influenced his taishokoto’s idea as well.


#17. Violina-zither	#18. Appalachians dulcimer

Some historians of music in England say that taishokoto belongs to a kind of zither similar to a （#19.）hummel . One folk musical instrument manufacturer in Germany has the idea that Mr.Goro Morita might have seen something like a hummel while in Europe and got a hint of his taishokoto from that viewing. This instrument was common in the Netherlands, Northern Germany and Denmark during the 18th century. If you are interested in the "Hummel musical instrument"explore Yahoo or Google on the internet.

#19.Hummel

Mr. Rikuro Hiyama author of "Gakki Sangyo" (musical industry) published in 1960, wrote his opinion about the origin of taishokoto as followed on page 312. "It seems that taishokoto may have been produced by combining the strange musical instrument called " Gyoku-kin" which had been invented by Mr. Masakichi Suzuki, founder of "Suzuki violin factory" applying key-mechanism of Remington’s typewriter to it. " He might have seen typewriter in New York or London. And he also wrote on page 313, that hurdy-gurdy might have implied to Mr. Goro Morita’s idea of taishokoto. ◆3.Newspaper said that "Mr. Goro Morita has not forgotten to bring typewriter back to Japan. " It means that he might have some ideas to utilize the key-mechanism of typewriter. In Japan, Maruzen Company had already begun to import （#３.）Wellington’s typewriter from U.S.A. since 1900. It means that Mr. Goro Morita might have enough time to get and disassemble for studying it, if he needed to examine more. These opinions are not known for certain, but can not deny any ideas. He applied for the patent of utility model on September 23, 1912. Whatever he has referred to or not, he is the inventor of taishokoto, because he got the patent of utility model on December 12, 1912.