Music Of Japan Instruments

[Latanya Hariri]

Kotois a Japanese harp and has a long history. It was originally invented in China and later introduced in Japan during the 7th or 8th century. A traditional koto consists of a long wooden main body with thirteen strings attached to it.

Shamisen is probably one of the most famous traditional Japanese instruments. Some believe that the shamisen was originally invented in China and called sangen (三弦). During the late 14th or early 15th century, it was introduced from China to Okinawa Prefecture, and local people started calling it sanshin (三線).

Sanshin was played at special ceremonies held at the court of the Ryukyu Kingdom which independently ruled Okinawa from the early 15th century to the 19th century. Even today, the sanshin is essential to Okinawan culture and its folk music. In the 16th century sanshin became popular across Japan and known as shamisen (三味線).

While the sanshin and the shamisen share a similar shape and other features, there are slight differences between them that are hard to recognize for the uninitiated. Sanshin are typically smaller than shamisen, and the wooden body is often covered in snakeskin. Shamisen, on the other hand, have a large body typically covered with dog or cat skin, or sometimes synthetic leather, instead of snakeskin.

When playing the sanshin, players use their fingers (sometimes with fingerpicks) to pluck the strings. However, the shamisen is played using a wooden plectrum called bachi (バチ) to strike the strings.

Enjoy learning about the shamisen and how to play with this shamisen experience in Asakusa. The skilled instructor will teach you about the instrument and its history first, and you will soon learn how to play the shamisen!

Biwa is a Japanese short-necked lute which has been played for centuries, not only in Japan but in other Asian countries as well. It is believed that the origin of the biwa can be found in ancient China and that it spread through Asia, including Japan, during the Nara period (710 -794).

In the Heian period (794- 1192), biwa became popular among blind Buddhist monks wandering the country. They were traveling performers called Biwa Hoshi (琵琶法師), and they made money by performing and captivating people with their biwa skills.

Traditionally, the biwa is made up of four or five strings of different thicknesses. The strings are attached to a wooden body, and players can produce different types of sound by plucking each string with a large wooden plectrum.

In ancient times, the Japanese used the taiko to communicate with each other as well as with their ancestors at special rituals. Today, there are a variety of Japanese taiko in different sizes, shapes and colors used for a wide range of purposes. You can enjoy amazing taiko performances at summer festivals, seasonal events and religious rituals at temples and shrines across Japan.

Taiko drumming is traditionally performed with two wooden drum sticks called bachi (バチ) used by the musicians to hit the drums. The sound of taiko is very simple, yet powerful, and adds great rhythm to any kind of music or song.

Shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese flute made of bamboo. It derives from a type of Chinese bamboo flute invented by a Buddhist monk and reached Japan in the late 7th century. During that time, shakuhachi was used for gagaku (雅楽), music that was traditionally performed at the imperial court.

Shakuhachi has five finger holes (four holes on the front and one on the back), and players cover the holes with their fingers to produce different sounds. Unlike the western flute, the shakuhachi is held vertically when played. Shinobue (篠笛) is another type of bamboo flute which is very similar to shakuhachi. Shinobue has more finger holes (typically seven) and is played horizontally like a western flute.

Kokyu is a traditional Japanese string instrument which is played using a bow, and the shape looks very much like the shamisen. The kokyu is known as the only traditional Japanese musical instrument which is played using a bow rather than fingers, fingerpicks or plectrum.

While some musical instruments require professional skill and much practice to play, there are others that are easy to play even for beginners! Naruko is a traditional Japanese percussion instrument which is often seen at festivals. Historically, it was used by farmers to scare birds away from the crops of their fields and farms.

Today, naruko is known as the iconic instrument used in the Yosakoi Dance Festival, a festival held in Kochi Prefecture in mid-August every year, and is basically a small clapping tool made from wood. People participating in the festival hold a naruko in each hand and swing them back and forth to make a clapping sound.

The kane is a small percussion instrument which has been played in Japan and other Asian countries from ancient times. This disc-shaped brass bell originated in China and has been used for a wide range of events in Japan, including gagaku (雅楽), Buddhist ceremonies, traditional festivals and ritual events.

Like other percussion instruments, the kane is generally played by striking it with a mallet made from wood or horn. You can make distinctively different sounds by hitting different parts of the instrument with the mallet. At Awa Odori Festival, which is held annually in Tokushima Prefecture, the kane plays an important role alongside other traditional musical instruments such as taiko drums and shamisen to create rhythmic background music.

If you are in Japan and are interested in Japanese instruments, it can always be fun to take a tour! Some of the tours not only allow you to experience a live musical performance by professionals but also give you the chance to learn how to play the instrument yourself. This will allow you to dive deeper into the culture and get a feel for the real Japan!

Stay informed of the best travel tips to Japan, the most exciting things to do and see, and the top experiences to have with the Japan Wonder Travel Newsletter. Every week we will introduce you to our latest content.

Miho Shimizu is a Japanese freelance writer settled in Shizuoka with her husband and two rabbits. Fascinated with traveling at the age of 18, she has spent most of her long holidays exploring incredible spots around Japan. She also loves to listen to music, draw, and read novels over a cup of green tea.

The biwa is a Japanese instrument that you should definitely listen to. It is a short-necked lute played with a large plectrum called a bachi.

Traveling biwa players, known as biwa-hoshi, were quite popular for some time. They used the biwa to accompany stories, the most famous of which was The Tale of the Heike.

The biwa has been used in gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) since the 7th century, but its popularity waned with the rise of modern music during the Meiji Era.

Although the biwa comes in many variations, it typically has three to five strings and four to six frets. The most renowned type is the satsuma biwa.

In recent years, musicians have been working to revitalize this Japanese string instrument by incorporating it into Western music. One such composer, Toru Takemitsu, has integrated the biwa into Western orchestral music with compositions like "November Steps".

Arguably the most well-known Japanese instruments internationally are taiko drums. Taiko drums are the drums seen at many summer festivals in Japan and at Japanese culture ceremonies worldwide.

Wa-daiko (和太鼓), or Japanese drums, come in many sizes and shapes. One example is the tsuzumi, an hourglass-shaped rope tension drum. Another is the byo-uchi-daiko, a drum made out of a single piece of wood. The most dramatic taiko is the oo-daiko.

Oo-daiko are the large drums you see in the back of a taiko ensemble. You can see all of these drums used in a taiko drum ensemble, called kumi-daiko (組太皷), where each drum has a specific role and voiced calls help players coordinate. Also, you can try your hand at taiko; visit one of the many arcades in Tokyo to play Taiko no Tatsujin, or Taiko Drum Master, to play this traditional Japanese instrument to modern J-pop melodies.

Listening to traditional Japanese instruments can give you a whole new perspective on Japanese culture. These instruments have not only survived, but traditional Japanese music has adapted to to remain relevant in modern Japan. Be on the lookout for these six traditional Japanese instruments next time you visit Tokyo!

In Japan in ancient times, a number of songs and singing styles such as Kagura, Yamato-Uta, and Kume-Uta existed, and these were also accompanied by simple dances. From approximately the 5th century, music and dances were brought to Japan from the ancient civilizations of countries such China and Korea at around the same time that Buddhist teachings and cultures were permeating the country. Gagaku, a fusion of these music and dances, was completed in its artistic form by about the 10th century, from whence it has been passed down from generation to generation under the patronage of the Imperial Family. The Japanese singing style and vocal arrangements for Gagaku are composed of advanced musical techniques, and Gagaku has not only contributed to the creation and development of modern-day music, but also has by itself the potential to develop in many aspects, as a global art form.

In addition to the Kuniburi-no-Utamai, which are native-style songs and dances based on the music of ancient Japan, including Kagura, Yamato-Mai, Azuma-Asobi, Kume-Mai, and Gosechi-no-Mai, songs and dances from continental Asia, such as Tōgaku from China, and Komagaku from Korea, were merged together during the Heian period in Japan to form vocal forms such as Saibara, and Rōei. There are three forms of performance of Gagaku, which are Kangen (Instrumental), Bugaku (dances and music), and Kayō (songs and chanted poetry). The instruments used include Japanese instruments, such as Wagon and Kagura-bue, and such foreign instruments as the Shō (mouth-organ), Hichiriki (oboe) and Fue (flute) as wind instruments, the Sō (Japanese harp, or Koto), and Biwa (lute) as string instruments and the Kakko (drum), Taiko (drum), Shōko (Bronze gong) and San-no-Tsuzumi (hour-glass drum) as percussion.

3a8082e126