Koto

Koto music is extremely popular and has been synonymous with Japan for centuries. Introduced to Japan by Chinese and Korean musicians at the turn of the eight century, the Japanese hold this instrument and its music close to its heart because it was believed that the koto had the resemblance of a crouching dragon, which is an ancient Japanese and Chinese creature.

The koto was widely played with gagaku; and in the 15th century, sookyoku, the soloist performance, and koto’s accompanied music came on the scene. The aforementioned sookyoku soon became the favorite of upper class business people in the 17th century.

The koto is one of those versatile instruments that have been used in several genres. This 13-string instrument which strings were first made of silk and spread over timber, has the capacity of being tuned to a variety of song styles with the movement of its ivory or plastic type bridges. Koto music can be both melodic one minute, to complex the next.