early 1930s ry&#363,,,k&#333,,,ka recordings from japanese geisha kouta katsutaro. emerging during the early stages of the recording industry in japan, the ryukoka style adopted some western classical, blues & jazz elements into traditional min yo folk music. kouta katsutaro would become one of it s most popular proponents, and along with another popular geisha singer, ichimaru, forms the basis of a period dubbed the katsu-ichi era.