Niningashi – Heavy Way (Original Press)
Niningashi – Heavy Way (Original Press)
Japan Original Pressing.
SPECIAL ARCHIVE PIECE
1974 Japan Original Private Pressing / Insert included.
Original 1974 pressing of Heavy Way, the only album by Niningashi, led by Kazuhisa Okubo before his later work with Neko and Kaze.
Okubo came from the Hiroshima folk scene and was connected to the early Japanese singer-songwriter movement around Takuro Yoshida. Recorded privately around the time of his graduation, Heavy Way captures a young songwriter standing at a turning point, between rural memory, urban pressure, and the changing sound of Japanese folk rock in the early 1970s.
This is one of the true Japanese acid folk / private press grails. It sits outside the usual city pop or fusion timeline, but carries the same deep 1970s Japanese atmosphere that RECORD MONSTER is built around: raw, melancholic, private, and quietly psychedelic.
The album is not a straight groove record, but it has a strange pull from start to finish. A1 “Ameagari” feels like Happy End covering Harvest-era Neil Young, with dry distorted guitar cutting through Okubo’s fragile vocal. Elsewhere, the record moves through West Coast-tinged folk rock, smoky acoustic textures, odd funky rhythm sections, and deeply intimate songwriting. The closing track B4 “Hitoribocchi” is a beautiful acid folk piece, full of rainy childhood memory and quiet sadness.
Listed separately from our weekly new arrivals as part of the RECORD MONSTER Special Archive.
A serious archive piece for collectors of Japanese private press, acid folk, psych, and deep 1970s singer-songwriter records.
Questions about condition, shipping, or anything else are always welcome. Please feel free to DM or email us anytime.
⬇️YouTube link is provided for reference only.
Please note that the sound, presence, and experience of the original 1974 private pressing is something different from an online preview.
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About the Condition
About the Condition
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| S (Sealed) | Still sealed in factory wrap. Never played. |
| M (Mint) | Perfect condition. Looks unplayed with no signs of use. Typically used for records that are brand new or opened but never played. |
| EX (Excellent) | Very clean. May have light scuffs or hairline marks, but plays perfectly. |
| VG+ (Very Good Plus) | Minor wear, light surface noise, no major flaws — a solid average used copy. |
| VG (Very Good) | Visible wear and surface noise. Plays through without skipping. |
| G+ (Good Plus) | Heavily used. Significant wear or scratches, but still playable. |
+ / − may be added to indicate slight variations (e.g. VG+, EX−).
We visually inspect every record, and we clean each one before shipping (play-testing when needed). Even new or great-looking vinyl—especially some Japanese pressings—can have light background noise. We grade carefully by eye and ear, but it’s still a human call, so please check the notes before buying.
Shipping & Packing
Shipping & Packing
Tokyo-based. Ships worldwide (DHL/Japan Post).
Professionally packed with care. Fast dispatch.
Strict grading. Actual photos of the item.
