I went to the Meiji Park flea market behind the National Stadium in Tokyo today, just one subway stop away, and found myself buying this lovely little thing!
It's a Suzuki Violin company mandolin. According to the vendor, who also had about eight guitars, three tambourines, four harmonicas, and two ocarinas, it was made in 1945. I question his ability to translate numbers into English, but it's certainly possible. The label says Suzuki Violins Kojo, Nagoya. Since Suzuki split hither and yon after the war, I would probably need an expert's help on this one. The writing in the red lining, which was helpfully read to me by a hotel staffer, is just an owner's name and address. When I get around to it, I'll post it on mandolincafe and see who knows what.
In original case, which is worn around the edges but will get it home. Condition is poor. Finish very worn, a couple of tiny cracks in the bowl back where the wood is pulling apart, I think. But look at how lovely it used to be. The inlay around the edge and soundholes is outrageous, and so is that butterfly:
It's missing both sets of upper strings, and the ones on it look like hell, but the sound is still in there somewhere. I'll get it all fixed up in Chicago. Oh, and it's very tiny. If Peri, the Soviet mandolin, was not playing size, this is like a child's. But I had to get it. I paid about US$40. Maybe I could have bargained more, but I think I did all right. The vendor was hesitating, and I gave him my best hopeful puppy eyes -- something I would never do if I could actually communicate with language.
I was going to come up with a cool Japanese name for it, but I'm afraid it's named itself 'Puccini.' You can connect the dots.
Oh, and I was also looking at a taishi-gato, a kind of five-stringed pianolin. You press keys and pick. I would have loved to get it, but it was new, and he was asking US$110. I figured even if I got him down to $50, I'd rather find something old... and I did!
[ETA: make that a taisho-koto.)
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