• Tohoku Shinkansen Thru Traffic clear deep blue vinyl LP, Universal Music Japan PROT-7447
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STOKYO

Tohoku Shinkansen – Thru Traffic LP, Clear Deep Blue Vinyl (Japan Import, PROT-7447)

Tohoku Shinkansen – Thru Traffic LP, Clear Deep Blue Vinyl (Japan Import, PROT-7447)

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The only album by Tohoku Shinkansen, a peak of 1980s Japanese AOR, reissued on clear deep blue vinyl. Guitarist Hiroshi Narumi and singer, composer and arranger Etsuko Yamakawa made one record together in 1982: nine mellow, polished songs that have become a quiet cult favorite among city pop and AOR collectors. Now back on vinyl from Universal Music Japan. Japanese pressing, new.

  • A one-and-only album. The duo's sole release, from 1982.
  • Clear deep blue vinyl. A 2026 color reissue from Universal Music Japan.
  • Etsuko Yamakawa's early work. She went on to become one of Japan's leading pop arrangers and, in 1986, the first woman to win the Japan Record Award for arrangement.
  • Japanese pressing. Catalog number PROT-7447, released September 30, 2026.

About the album

Etsuko Yamakawa and guitarist Hiroshi Narumi formed Tohoku Shinkansen in 1981 and released Thru Traffic the following year. It's Japanese AOR at its smoothest, with songs in both English and Japanese, from "Summer Touches You" to "Cloudy." The duo didn't continue, and Yamakawa moved behind the scenes, writing and arranging for Agnes Chan, Hiromi Iwasaki and many other pop stars through the '80s. That left Thru Traffic as a one-off, and a record city pop and AOR collectors have long sought out.

Tracklist

Side A

  1. Summer Touches You
  2. Up and Down
  3. Kokoro no Mama ni (心のままに)
  4. Strange Wine (ストレンジ・ワイン)
  5. September Vallentine

Side B

  1. Tsuki ni Yorisotte (月に寄りそって)
  2. Cloudy
  3. Spell
  4. Last Message (ラスト・メッセージ)

Release details

Artist Tohoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線): Hiroshi Narumi (鳴海寛) & Etsuko Yamakawa (山川恵津子)
Label Universal Music Japan
Catalog No. PROT-7447
Barcode 4988031895320
Format 12" LP, clear deep blue vinyl
Country Japan (import)
Released September 30, 2026 (original album: 1982)
Genre City Pop, AOR
Condition New

Why buy from STOKYO

STOKYO is run by DJs and vinyl heads, and we've been importing Japanese records and analog gear since 2004. This LP comes straight from Japan and ships from Los Angeles.

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