Koto Music (Web Text)
The national musical instrument of Japan is the koto, a type of long wooden zither with 13 strings that are plucked with fingerpicks. The history of the koto goes back 1,300 years, and it remains popular in both solo and ensemble performances.
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Until the seventeenth century, the koto primarily reflected the tastes of the nobility and was often used in gagaku court music. It became more popular with commoners in the Edo period (1603–1867), a mostly peaceful time when many performing arts flourished. A blind musician and composer named Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614–1685) is credited with laying the foundations for koto music as it is known today, making it much more accessible as an art. At present, koto performances encompass everything from the traditional gagaku to joint concerts with Western instruments. The Gion Corner: Traditional Arts Performance offers a selection of representative koto pieces, including one composed by Yatsuhashi.