![]() ![]() Koto also appears in the "Genji Monogatari" ( The Tale of Genji), but it is obvious that 'Kin (琴) no Koto' became obsolete fairly early because only a small number of players of 'Kin (琴) no Koto' appear in the story, which is believed to have depicted the period ruled by the three emperors from Emperor Daigo to Emperor Murakami (the ninth and tenth centuries). The instruction in playing the Koto is one of the theme of the "Utsuho monogatari" (The Tale of Utsuho) which took shape during the Heian period. ![]() It was the Nara period when 'So (箏) no Koto' was introduced from China, which is now most commonly called the 'koto.'Īpart from 和琴 (Wagon), 'Kin (琴) no Koto,' which was also introduced in the Nara period, was apparently regarded as an important stringed instrument because it related to the religious services of the Chinese court: stringed instruments, all of which were called 'OO no Koto' in those days, were regarded as superior to wind instruments, because wind instruments would not make sound unless human beings breathed into them. The 'Koto' in those days is believed to have become the prototype of today's 和琴 (Wagon), because many of them had five strings, a slightly broadened shape toward the end, and projections at the end for attachment of the strings. Broken pieces that are strongly believed to have belonged to 'koto' have been discovered in ruins of the Yayoi period in various districts, such as at the Toro Ruins.įurthermore, the Haniwa (unglazed terracotta cylinders and hollow sculptures arranged on and around the mounded tombs ( kofun)) of the Kofun period (tumulus period) include images of 'Koto' or a person playing the 'Koto.'Īccordingly, 'Koto' has existed as a musical instrument since the Yayoi period, setting aside whether the name of 'Koto' existed in those days. However, because the Chinese character '箏' isn't included in the Joyo-kanji, '琴' and '箏' are sometimes used confusedly for example, bridges (ji, '柱' in Chinese character) used for 'So (箏) no Koto' are called 'Koto-ji' (琴柱), and the person who teaches playing the instrument 'So (箏) no Koto' introduces oneself as 'a teacher of 'Kin (琴) no Koto' in advertisements and others.Īs shown in " Kojiki" (The Records of Ancient Matters), in which the scene of playing the 'koto' frequently appears, 'Koto' has existed in Japan since ancient times, apparently used as a musical instrument for witching purposes. ![]() Taisho-koto (a zither with three to five strings) The following instruments are categorized into Koto: The player creates sound by plucking the strings with fingerpicks or the finger (or fingernail). The pitch is adjusted in "So (箏) no Koto" by moving bridges (called "ji") under each string, while the pitch is adjusted in "Kin (琴) no Koto" by pressing the strings against the board with the fingertips (Wagon uses moving bridges). When the distinction between '琴' and '箏' is needed, they are called (1) 'Kin (琴) no Koto' and (2) 'So (箏) no Koto,' respectively. Such situation is further deteriorating because the Chinese character '箏' was not included in the Joyo-kanji (a list of 1,945 pieces of kanji (Chinese characters) designated in 1981). 琴'(Koto) and '箏'(So) have been intermixed and misused throughout the ages. There are three general groups of musical instruments called 'Koto' in Japan: (1) 琴 (generally called 'Koto' or 'Kin'), (2) 箏 (generally called 'So') and (3) 和琴 (generally called 'Wagon'). The koto (also called the 'kin') is a Japanese traditional musical instrument. ![]() Koto (a long Japanese zither with thirteen strings) ( 琴) ![]()
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