The shamisen or samisen ( ?

,
literally

"three

strings"),

also

called sangen ( ?, literally "three

strings"),

is

Japanese musical

three-stringed,

instrument derived

from the Chinese instrument sanxian.

It is played with a plectrum called
a bachi.
The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when
used as a suffix (e.g., Tsugaru-jamisen).[1] (In western Japan, and often in Edo-period
sources, it is sometimes "samisen.")

The biwa (

) is

a Japanese short-

necked fretted lute, often used in narrative

storytelling.

The biwa is

the

chosen

instrument ofBenten, goddess of music,

eloquence,

poetry,

and

education

in Buddhism.
It arrived in Japan in two forms. Since that
time, the number of biwa types has more
than quadrupled. Guilds supporting biwa players, particularly the biwa hoshi, helped
proliferate

biwa

musical

development

for

hundreds

of

years. Biwa

hshi performances overlapped with performances by other biwa players many

years before heikyoko and continued until today. This overlap resulted in a rapid

evolution of the biwa and its usage and made it one of the most popular
instruments in Japan.

The koky (?) { } is a

traditional Japanese string instrument,
the only one played with a bow.
Although it was introduced to Japan
from China along with the shamisen,
its material, shape, and sound are
unique to Japan[clarification needed]. The
instrument also exists in
an Okinawan version, called kch (
?) in the Okinawan
language.
The
instrument
is
similar
in
construction
to
the shamisen,
appearing like a smaller version of
that instrument. It is 70 cm (28
inches) tall, with a neck made
of ebony and a hollow body made of coconut or Styrax japonica wood, covered on
both ends with cat skin (or snakeskin in Okinawa). It has three (or, more rarely, four)
strings and is played upright, with the horsetail-strung bow rubbing against the
strings. In central Japan, the koky was formerly used as an integral part of
the sankyoku ensemble, along with the koto andshamisen, but beginning in the
20th century the shakuhachi most often plays the role previously filled by
the koky.

The koto (Japanese:

is

traditional Japanese stringed musical

instrument similar

to

the Chinese zheng,

the Mongolian yatga, theKorean gayageum,

and the Vietnamese n tranh. The koto is
the national instrument of Japan.[1] Koto
are about 180 centimetres (71 in) length,
and made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). They have 13 strings that are
strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument, and there is also

a 17-string koto variant. Players can adjust the string pitches by moving the white
bridges before playing. To play the instrument, the strings are plucked using three
finger picks, otherwise known as plectra (on thumb, index finger, and middle
finger), to pluck the strings.[2]

The shinobue (kanji:

also

called takebue (kanji: )) in the context of

Japanese
traditional
arts)
is
a Japanese transverse flute orfue that has a highpitched
sound.
It
is
found
in hayashi and nagauta ensembles, and plays
important roles in noh and kabuki theatre music.
It is heard in Shinto music such as kaguraden and in traditional Japanese folk songs. There
are two styles: uta (song) and hayashi(festival).
The uta is properly tuned to the Western scale,
and can be played in ensembles or as
a solo instrument. The hayashi is not in the correct pitch, because it is simply a
piece of hollow bamboo with holes cut into it. It emits a very high-pitched sound,
and is appropriate for the festival/folk music of Japan. Both shinobue flutes play a
very important role in the Japanese theater.

The sh ( ?) is a Japanese free reed musical

instrument that was introduced from China during
the Nara period (AD 710 to 794). It is modeled on the
Chinese sheng, although the sh tends to be smaller
in size. It consists of 17 slender bamboo pipes, each of
which is fitted in its base with a metal free reed. Two
of the pipes are silent, although research suggests
that they were used in some music during theHeian
period.
The instrument's sound is said to imitate the call of
a phoenix, and it is for this reason that the two silent
pipes of the sh are keptas an aesthetic element,
making
two
symmetrical
"wings".
Like
the
Chinese sheng, the pipes are tuned carefully with a
drop of wax. As moisture collected in the sh's pipes
prevents it from sounding, performers can be seen
warming the instrument over a small charcoal brazier when they are not playing.

The instrument produces sound when the player's breath is inhaled or exhaled,
allowing long periods of uninterrupted play. The sh is one of the three
primary woodwind instruments used in gagaku, Japan's imperial court music. Its
traditional
playing
technique
in gagaku involves
the
use
of tone
clusters called aitake (), which move gradually from one to the other, providing
accompaniment to the melody.

The tonkori ( ?) is a plucked string instrument

played by the Ainu people of Hokkaid, northern Japan
and Sakhalin. It generally has five strings, which are
not stopped or fretted but simply played "open".
[1] The instrument is believed to have been developed
in

Sakhalin.[citation

needed] By

the

1970s

the

instrument was practically extinct, but is experiencing

a revival along with the increased interest in Ainu
heritage.[1][2

The konghou (Chinese: ; pinyin: knghu) is

ancient

Chinese harp.

The konghou,

also

an

known

as kanhou,[citation needed] went extinct sometime in

the Ming Dynasty. It has been revived in the 20th
century as a double bridge harp; the modern version of
the instrument does not resemble the ancient one, but
its shape is similar to Western concert harps.

Taiko ( ?) are a broad range

of Japanese percussion instrume
nts. In Japanese, the term refers
to any kind of drum, but outside
Japan, it is used to refer to any
of the various Japanese drums
called wadaiko ( "Japanese
drums") and to the form of
ensemble taiko drumming more
specifically called kumi-daiko (
"set of drums"). The process of constructing taiko varies between
manufacturers, and preparation of both the drum body and skin can take several
years depending on methodology.
Taiko have a mythological origin in Japanese folklore, but historical records suggest
that taiko were introduced to Japan through Korean and Chinese cultural influence
as early as the 6th century CE. Some taiko are similar to instruments originating
from India. Archaeological evidence also supports that taiko were present in Japan
during the 6th century in the Kofun period. Their function has varied through
history, ranging from communication, military action, theatrical accompaniment,
and religious ceremony to both festival and concert performances. In modern times,
taiko have also played a central role in social movements for minorities both within
and outside Japan.

?
The hichiriki (

) is
a double
reed Japanese fue (flute) used as one of two
main
melodic
instruments
in
Japanese gagaku music, the other being
the ryteki. The hichiriki is difficult to play,
due in part to its double reed configuration.
Although a double reed instrument like
the oboe,
the hichiriki has
a
cylindrical bore and thus its sound is similar
to that of a clarinet. Pitch and ornamentation
(most notably bending tones) are controlled
largely with the embouchure. The hichiriki is one of the "sacred" instruments and is
often heard being played at Shinto weddings in Japan. Its sound is often described
as haunting.[1][2]
The hichiriki is the most widely used of all instruments in gagaku and it is used in all
forms of music aside from poetry recitation.
The hichiriki is derived from the Chinese guan or bili, and is also related to the
Korean piri.