It’s no coincidence that we associate Japan with meticulous craftsmanship.
Few companies embody this connection better than Nagaoka. Founded 85 years ago in Yamagata, northern Japan, the traditional manufacturer began producing parts for highly precise mechanical watches. As early as 1947, the company expanded into the production of phonograph styli. Over the years, vinyl playback became increasingly central to Nagaoka’s work. Before long, the brand made a name for itself with cartridges that stood out for their outstanding build quality and impressive price-to-performance ratio – a reputation that continues to this day. Today, the Japanese company also offers accessories such as record cleaners and anti-static sleeves. Despite these expansions, the factory in Higashine has never lost touch with its roots: precision parts for measuring instruments, as well as diamonds, sapphires, and rubies for fine watch movements, are still produced there.
Nagaoka’s status as a world-class cartridge manufacturer is also reflected in its collaborations. For example, Technics commissioned a custom cartridge from Yamagata for its special edition SL-1210GAE turntable. This model, known as the JT-1210, was later introduced into Nagaoka’s standard lineup as the JT-80BK.
Unlike many competitors, Nagaoka stayed the course even during the drastic decline in vinyl sales in the 1990s – their belief in the format’s future has paid off. While there may be larger and more widely known cartridge makers, when it comes to styli, Nagaoka is the undisputed number one: more than 90 percent of all styli sold worldwide are manufactured in Higashine.
We congratulate this unsung hero of vinyl playback on its 85th anniversary and wish them many more successful years to come.