The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music

Alison Tokita is Associate Professor in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, Monash University, Australia. David W. Hughes is Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology, Department of Music, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK. Jacket illustration: Kindly supplied by Kunitachi College of Music, Japan, with permission from Professor Takeuchi Dokei. From the Takeuchi Dokei collection of colour woodblock prints. The picture is also to be found in Kunitachi College of Music Bibliography and Index Series 20, Kunitachi College of Music Library, 1994, Number 505, which also provides the following information about the illustration: 'Title of picture: Three courtesans playing sankyoku - the ensemble of kokyu, shamisen and koto (Meigi sankyoku awase). A three panel nishiki-e coloured woodblock print by Utagawa Fusatora (Utagawa Hiroshige III), 1869. In the background of the right-hand part of the picture can be seen the first Western-style hotel built in Japan. The text in the picture reads: Hotel building - the area is 42 ken (83.5 yards or 76.4 metres) wide by 40 ken (79.6 yards or 72.2 metres) deep; the roof height is 9 jobar; and 4 shaku (31.8 yards or 30.9 metres).'