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There is a long history behind mandolins in Japan, dating back to
the middle of the C19. The first known mandolin performance in Japan, was by
Totsuji Shikama in 1894, a graduate of the first Japanese School studying
western music. The first mandolins were probably made by Japanese luthiers
before the turn of the century. The first mandolin method in Japanese was published in
1908. After the years of the First World War, interest in western culture
continued to grow in Japan, and many mandolin orchestras were formed among
the well to do. This trend was given a tremendous boost in 1924, when
Raffaele Calace made an extended tour of Japan, even giving lessons,
notably to Suzuki, who became a leading figure there after in Japanese
mandolin circles, both composing and performing.
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