I - 1. What was the taishokoto revival and spread like?
After the war, the life of people got better. The composer Mr. Masao Koga who had done a lot of famous popular songs until the beginning of the war, composed the song "Jinsei Gekijyo" (Theater of Life) and he introduced this song with the taishokoto in 1959. This sorrowful song sounds reminded the people of the good old days when taishokoto was popular. Mr. Koga’s this song was a hit for a long time. People say that this song brought the revival of the taishokoto. Japan’s economic success in 1960s brought happiness to the people. Many popular songs on TV spread through the country.
The new vogue of taishokoto came about in the middle of 1970s. As electric appliances like the washing machine released housewives from housework and people had more time to enjoy entertainments. Most of the old and the middle aged women were able to spend their free time enjoying themselves. Taishokoto suited these women who gathered and played popular songs together. Taishokoto became a fashionable, pass time activity for these middle aged ladies.
The composer Koga gave the opportunity for restoring renewed success to the taishokoto and taishokoto lovers. We are also grateful to those dedicated players who never gave up playing the taishokoto and the makers that continued producing taishokoto. These players and makers formed the core of the taishokoto revival.
The revival of taishokoto and its spread is due to the establishment of taishokoto schools from the middle of 1980s. People who were born between 1947 and 1949 are called the "first baby boomers" and they made big educational markets from the middle of 1950s to the later half of 1960s as students. These baby boomers had to buy a harmonica and other simple musical instruments individually for their music lessons at school. Elementary schools and junior high schools had to line up all kinds of musical instruments as their musical equipments. A vogue of electric guitar and that of folk guitar were accepted by the first baby boomers around the end of 1960s to the middle of 1970s and got the prosperity to music industries like music shops and factories. Music demands have been on the decline as the vogue ended. At the same time, newspapers informed publicly that the population of the child would decrease and that the aged old would increase. Music business is based on mainly the children’s market. A few owners of guitar factories, music wholesalers and music shops felt anxious about their futures and took part in the taishokoto market. By making use of their own business channels in the music market, they established their own schools in order to get new customers by referring to traditional organizations called "Ryu of Kai". For example, one of the schools got to cooperate with the Agricultural Cooperative Society and recommended its women’s organization to be students of taishokoto. Another group made use of piano selling organizations. More than 100 schools under the name of Ryu or Kai have been established. Some of them were rather trade name than school as they did not have any individualities. Many competitions among these taishokoto organizations made them strong and these competitions enhanced the market growth.