Kojiki

In the beginning, the heavens and the earth were one. The sky was a mass of angry black clouds and the sea was nothing more than a seething, murky swamp. Life as we know it did not exist.
Then one day the clouds began to swirl and grow, thunder crashed and a terrible rain began to fall. It rained night and day for weeks and months, as if it had done so forever.
At last the rain stopped, and the heavens and the earth had separated. From the wather and mud the gods began to appear, like young shoots of grass springing forth from the earth.
This is how the world began.

Chapter 2
Sozo
The Birth of a Land

The last of the gods to rise up from the chaos were Izanagi and the goddess Izanami. From the bridge of rainbows in Takamagahara, far above where the other gods live, they stirred the sea with a spear. When they resdrew the spear, the drops of mud that fell from it created a most beautiful group of islands. Izanagi and Izanami went to live in the land, and were married. There, Izanami gave birth to many gods including those of the wind, the sea, the mountains and the earth.

Chapter 3
Koi
Love and The Death of Izanami

The last god to be bron was the god fire, after which Izanami died. Her death caused her son Mikoto, the god of the night, terrible pain and grief. At last his father, Izanagi, disturbed at his son's weakness, expelled him from the land of the gods. After much wondering, Mikoto found himself in a village terrorized by the Eight-Headed Dragon and where the beautiful mailden Kushinadahime lived. It is here that Mikoto first discovered love.

Chapter 4
Orochi
The Eight-Headed Dragon

The dragon was a terrible creature with eyes as red as Chinese lanterns. It had eight giant heads and tails long enough to span eight mountains and valleys. The monster dragon had already destroyed the village and devoured Kushinadahime's seven sisters, and it was feared he would soon return to claim the fair maiden. Using all of his cunning and strenth Mikoto defeated the monster in a long and brutal battle.

Chapter 5
Nageki
Sorrow in a World of Darkness

After Mikoto was thrown out of the land of gods, his sister Hikaru, goddess of the sun, took pity on him and invited him to come live with her in Takamagahara. Mikoto was happy to do so, but his mischief soon caused Hikaru much grief. Hikaru fell into great despair and went to hide in the Celestial Rock Cave, plunging the world into total darkness. For this, Mikoto was thrown out of Takamagahara.

Chapter 6
Matsuri
The Festival

Mikoto prayed and prayed to his father izanagi to get Hikaru to come out from the cave. Meanwhile, some of the other gods gathered around the cave to sing and dance in a happy and joyous festival. Hikaru, thinking it strange that people were holding the festival in the dark and cold world, opened the stone gate before the cave to see what was happening. Just then Tajikaro, the god of strenth, pushed away the stone and pulled Hikaro from the cave. The festival had been nothing but a trick.

Chapter 7
Reimei
The New Dawn

As HiKaru came out from the cave, her light shown brilliantly in Takamagahara and throughtout all the lands. Flowers began to bloom, birds began to sing and peace returned. With Hikaru's blessing, Mikoto and Kushinadahime were married and lived a happily ever after. It was the beginning of a new dawn in Yamato (Japen).

Produced by:
KITARO

Associate Producer
REIJIRO KOROKU

Executive Producers:
YOKICHI "KAICHO" OHSATO
HISASHI YAMAMOTO

All Songs Written and Arranged by:
KITARO

Musical Supervisor:
REIJIRO KOROKU

Concept:
GOOFY MOTI

Recorded at:
KITARO'S STUDIO (JAPAN)
SKYWALKER STUDIO (SAN FRANCISCO, CA)

Mixed at:
SKYWALKER STUDIO

Recorded and Mixed by:
TOM FLYE

Assistant Engineers:
BOB EDWARDS
M.T. SILVIA

Mastered by:
GEORGE MARINO AT STERLING SOUND (NEW YORK CITY)

Assistant Engineer.
NOBORU KATOH

Direction & Management.
EIICHI NAITO & PENNY MUCK
FOR DOMO MUSIC GROUP, INC.

Digitally Remastered at:
THE MASTERING LAB BY DOUG SAX

Art Direction:
GOOFY MORI

Design:
MASAKAZU HIRAO (HEYS)

Sumie Drawing:
MIYUKI UEDA

Photograpby:
JUN KOBAYASHI
KAZUNOBU YANAGI

Translation & Editing
RONALD STERNBERG

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS

Electric Bass
KOHHACHI ITOH

Keybaords:
YASUO OGATA

Guitar:
HIROSHI ARAKI

Drums:
SYOJI FUJII

Timpani:
HIDEO FUNAMOTO

Violin:
STEVEN KINDLER*

SKY-WALKER SYMPHONY STRINGS

Musical Director:
GREG SUDMEIER

Concertmasters:
NATHAN RUBIN
JEREMY COHEN

1st Violins:
STEVEN KINDLER*
ADRIENNE DUCKWORTH
JIM SHALLENBERGER
STEFAN HERSH
CAROL SCHWAMBERGER
JENNY AMADOR
SARA USHER
EMILY VAN VALKENBERG
CLIFF FOSTER

Principal 2nd Violin:
GREG MAZMANIAN

2nd Violin:
CARLA PICCHI
SHARON CALONICO
IRENE SAGER
TRISTAN LEHNERT
RON ERICKSON
JOHN TENNEY
ELINE VAN DEN ENDE

Principal Viola:
RUTH FREEMAN

Violas.
ROXANNE JACOBSON
JIM HURLEY
LINDA GHIDOSSI-DELUCA
PAUL ERLICH

Principal Cello:
DAN REITER

Cellos:
JENNEY CULP
THALIA MOORE
TERRY ADAMS
SHARON O'CONNER

Principal Bass:
SHINJI ESHIMA

Basses:
JEFF NEIGHBOR
PAT KLOBAS
MARK DRURY
TIM SPEARS

Special Thanks to:
YUKI & RYUNOSUKE TAKAHASHI
KAZU & MAYUMI YANAGI
MICKEY HART
GEORGE LUCAS
LINDA LIVINGSTON
JEAN WALKINSHAW
RURIKO SAKUMI-DUER
SYNDEE A.BARWICK
NORIO YAMAMOTO
EVERYONE AT AMUSE AMERICA
MARK ROMAN
SHELBY GLICK
TOKUGEN YAMAMOTO
KINICHIROH MAEDA
JIM BEHRINGER
KEN PARK
CASEY SCHUERELL
BRIAN BECVAR
MICHAEL BECKER
STEVEN KINDLER
TAMI BUTCHER
BOB NICKMAN AT STERLING SOUND
STAFF OF SKY-WALKER STUDIO
STAFF OF STERLING SOUND
KORG
YAMAHA
ROLAND
KURZWEIL
OTARI
OKADAYA
KITARO'S FANS AROUND THE WORLD

*STEVEN KINDLER appears courtesy of
GLOBAL PACIFIC RECORDS

FOR INFORMATION ON JOINING
"THE KITARO FAMILY" WRITE TO:
P.O. BOX 1717. BEVERLY HILLS,
CA 90209-3117

DOMO
© 1990 Amuse America Inc.
(P) 1997 Domo Records, Inc.
Manufactured and distributed by
Domo Records Europe Limited,
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Made in the European Union
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