![]() The Tonkori is about 120 centimeters tall and 10 centimeters wide. This plucked instrument does not have any frets and is played open. It has 5 strings and 2 bridges, one at the top and the other at the bottom. However, it’s assumed that this instrument was developed in Sakhalin, an island in Russia. Tonkori is a string instrument that was played by the East Asian ethnic groups of Hokkaido known as the Ainu people. In mainland Japan, its body is square-shaped, whereas in Okinawa it’s round or bowl-shaped. Both of its sides are covered with cat skin or snakeskin in Okinawa. The body of Kokyu is made from wood today, but traditionally it’s made of coconut. Traditionally, the kokyu has only 3 strings, but the four-stringed version became increasingly popular in the 20th century. It’s 70 centimeters in length with an ebony neck, a hollow body, 3 or 4 strings, and 3 tuning pegs. ![]() The Kokyu resembles the Japanese instrument Shamisen but is much smaller. It’s similar to the kokyu but originated in the city through Indonesia and Malaysia. Moreover, Kokyu has its origins in Japan’s city Okinawa, where it’s referred to as ‘’kucho’’. The bow is moved in a horizontal motion across its strings. Typically, the kokyu is played while kneeling on the floor and holding it upright on or between the player’s knee. I guess we can call it the violin’s Japanese cousin that was used in jazz and blues. ![]() This instrument differs from all the Japanese stringed instruments as it’s the only one played using a bow. While you are here, here’s a fun fact about Biwa: Japan’s largest freshwater lake earned its name as ‘’Lake Biwa’’ because its shape resembled the instrument. There are more than seven types of biwa, defined by the number of strings, frets, sound production, type of plectrum, and their use. Instead of plucking it with fingers, it’s played using a ‘’bachi’’ or the plectrum. The varying thickness for the strings is used to create distinct tones and sounds in each of the strings. The biwa is also regarded as the chosen instrument of the Japanese Buddhist goddess, Benzaiten.īiwa is 60 to 106 centimeters in length with a wooden body and 4 or 5 silks strings that differ in thickness. This instrument was mostly used to tell stories or as musical accompaniment for blind monks while they recited scriptural texts. It entered Japan in the Nara period (710 AD – 794 AD). Biwa also originated from China, where it was popular by the name ‘’pipa’’ or the Chinese lute. This plucked instrument’s structure is like a lute, with a short neck and a pear-shaped body. However, one cannot forget David Bowie’s instrumental piece in his 1977 song, ‘’Moss Garden’’ with the koto. With the influence of Western music, koto’s prominence has significantly lessened and is mostly being used in Japanese classical music. One such variety is the yamato-goto or the “wagon” that the aristocrats used for entertainment in olden days. There are many varieties of the koto which differ in size, shape, and number of strings. Since its debut in Japan, the Koto has gone through several modifications to suit local musical needs. Commonly, the koto is played while sitting down with the instrument placed in front or at the side of the player. Its body is made of wood and the strings stretched across it are plucked either with a pick or with fingers. It typically has 13 silk strings and 13 bridges. Koto has an elongated body of about 180 centimeters in length. It was introduced in Japan from the Chinese string instrument, zheng, and resembles the Korean gayageum, the Vietnamese đàn tranh, and the Sundanese kacapi. We’ll begin with the national instrument of Japan, the Koto.
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