~ Koto 箏

The Guzheng, a plucked string instrument, is one of the most ancient Chinese musical instruments. It belongs to the zither family and it is the parent instrument of the Japanese Koto, Korean Kayagum, Mongolian Yatag and Vietnamese dan tranh.

The koto is unique among Japanese musical instruments, its long and rich history leading to it becoming synonymous with "traditional" Japanese culture. Henry Johnson examines the construction, performance traditions and contexts of performance of the koto. Much of the information on the koto is ...

In doing some research on the Shamisen, I stumbled onto the Koto and was suddenly reminded that this instrument (and it’s cousins) are largely and undeniably associated with Asian culture. …

The ancestry of the Japanese koto can be traced back to the Asian mainland. However, traditional music for the Japanese koto has little in common with that of its Chinese and Korean relatives. Its history in Japan spans more than twelve centuries,...

This rare acquisition is a tour de force of Japanese decorative and musical arts that is currently unparalleled in this country. Although a strong tradition existed before then, the foundation for modern Japanese koto music were formed during the seventeenth century

JAPANESE INSTRUMENT THE shakuhachi, koto, wooden fish, shamisen(AC)