Kotaro Morita
“It was my desire to build a stylus that produces true sound coming from the
cantilever made of special carved natural wood”
Kotaro Morita, has truly been a “reticent” craftsman for the past half century,
the day since he started the service in JICO.
The intention of his product is to recognize the brand under his “name” with
the belief in purpose to send and express Kotaro Morita’s spirit, technology,
and achievements to future generations.
“Morita stylus has brought a level of refinement and reinvigorating vibe to
the analog world and MM enthusiasms” – A.E
“Using this stylus has eliminated the need to have different cartridges and
needle combinations for different kinds of music” – E.N
In November 2019, Kotaro has introduced his first designed stylus
using ‘black’ persimmon wood, which we call it “KUROGAKI”.
This plant grows in colder region and normally the fruits are harvested
in October. Upon cutting down the tree, the black stripes are widely
visible on astringent persimmons but there are no specific reasons
behind this. It is believed that black stripes appear on heartwood,
which some parts contingently dye in pitch black.
Ever since it was used in the masterpiece of carpentry for Shosoin
(the treasure house that belongs to Todaiji temple in Nara prefecture),
this Kurogaki has been prized as “high-standard noble wood” and also
been used in Togu Palace (known as prince’s residence).
After several months, Kotaro introduced new model, “USHIKOROSHI”;
formally and commonly known as Christmas berry but also having
devastating name, which can simply translated as “OX KILLER”.
The name “USHIKOROSHI” is derived from an ancient theory where
farmers used this wood to make a nose ring for cows, or as it may sound
cruel, they used this to slaughter cows. The wood itself is very strong and stiff,
we have access to purchase limited number of quantities that have been selected by connoisseur of wood that had been naturally dried for more than 5 years.
黒柿（KUROGAKI ： Diospyros Kaki）
Also known as black persimmon wood, an extreme rare wood that is difficult to find as it looks just the same as any other ordinary persimmon trees. In many cases, the market “accidentally” find the tree after carving, but many people refuse to purchase them as it is difficult to store and keep them in best quality. Scientifically, it is not proven why the wood become pitch black since the black wood is only been discovered from trees over age of 150 years and it can be imagined that it takes at least 100 years for the “Black pattern” to appear. Thus, it is difficult for researchers to continue and accomplish during their life span. Furthermore, the ratio to discover this black wood is 1 in 10,000.
鎌柄（KAMATSUKA ： Pourthiaea villosa）
aka Ushikoroshi (牛殺), which can simply translated as OX KILLER, derived from a theory where ancient farmers used this wood to produce nose ring for cows or as it may sounds cruel, they used them to kill cows. The wood itself is very strong and stiff like a rock.
ピンクアイボリー（Pink Ivory ：Peach-Colored Ivory）
Known as a “Peach-Colored Ivory,” Pink Ivory is distinguished by its characteristic pink-hued grain, in line with its name. The material is exceptionally hard, making it a challenging wood to work with. The pink portion of the wood can only be obtained from the heartwood (the inner part of the tree trunk), and there can be significant variations in color tone among individual pieces, rendering it a highly prized and costly commodity