Toshiyuki Tsuchitori, also known as Toshi Tsuchitori, was born on September 1, 1950, in Tadotsu, Kagawa, Japan. He began his musical journey as a percussionist, playing festival taiko from a young age and later exploring modern jazz in Osaka during his teenage years. In the early 1970s, Tsuchitori started his career as an avant-garde jazz percussionist, collaborating with notable figures such as Toshinori Kondō and Ryuichi Sakamoto. His breakthrough came with the release of his debut album, Origination, in 1975. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he released several albums, including Drumythm (1978), Breath (1980), and Ajagara (1980). In 1981, Tsuchitori met shamisen player Harue Momoyama, leading to the establishment of their record label Ryūkō Gakusha in 1987.
