TAIKO

There are many large Japanese drums, or

taiko. Most have two membranes which are nailed
or laced and are struck with sticks. The most
dramatic is the Odaiko (big drum). The physical
energy and sheer excitement of an Odaiko
performance is an integral part of many Japanese
matsuri (festivals). Perhaps because they see this all
the time, most Japanese people don't get particularly
excited by taiko performance groups like Kodo,
while foreign audiences are enthralled by them.
Each year, Kodo host Earth Celebration, a festival
of taiko drumming, international music and
performance art in their home base on Sado
Island. Many people come to Japan from around the
world to enjoy the festival and it is certainly a
highlight of the Japanese cultural calendar. Kodo
also tour extensively abroad every year.

KOTSUZUMI
The
hourglass-shaped
tsuzumi
was
introduced from the Asian continent around the 7th
century and the name is derived from Sanskrit. Two
varieties, the smaller kotsuzumi and the larger
otsuzumi are used in both noh and kabuki
performances. The kotsuzumi is held on the right
shoulder and the player alters the tone by squeezing
the laces. The otsuzumi is held on the left thigh.
Like all other traditional arts in Japan, there are
several schools of tsuzumi.

BIWA
The biwa is a Japanese short-necked fretted lute, and a
close variant of the Chinese pipa. The biwa is the chosen
instrument of Benten, Goddess of music, eloquence, poetry,
and education in Japanese Buddhism. The biwa derives
from a Chinese lute called pipa, which itself derives from a
Persian/Middle Eastern lute called barbat (whose modern
descendant in Arabic regions is called oud). The biwa
reached Japan from China during the Nara Period (710-759
AD), and five instruments from that time are kept in the
Shsin, the national treasure house of Japan. One of them,
a rare, five-stringed gogenbiwa , is decorated with Central
Asian themes, including a camel. This instrument is
literally one of its kind in Asia, being the only one
preserved from the period, although similar instruments are
manufactured in small numbers today. Wandering biwa
players, similar to minstrels, were known as biwa hshi

KOTO
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical
instrument derived from Chinese Guqins. Koto are about
180 centimetres (71 in) long and have 13 strings that are strung
over 13 movable bridges along the length of the instrument.
Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges
before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, forefinger,
and middle finger) to pluck the strings.The character for koto is
also read as s in certain contexts. Though often called by a
number of other names, these terms almost always refer to similar,
but different instruments, such as the Chinese guzheng or qin (,
called kin in Japanese).
The koto was introduced to Japan in the 7th to 8th century
from China, and largely derived from the Chinese hi. It was
initially played only in the royal court, but this situation changed in
the 17th century -- primarily because of the influence of
Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614-1684). Though the koto, like many
Japanese instruments derived from Chinese ones, has likely not
changed much over the centuries, the guzheng has, and thus it is no
longer valid to call them the same instrument.

SHAKUHACHI
The shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown flute
which is held vertically like a recorder, instead of
transversely like the Western transverse flute. Its name
means "1.8 foot", its size. It is traditionally made of
bamboo, but versions now exist in wood and plastic. It was
used by the monks of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism in the
practice of suizen (blowing meditation). Its soulful sound
made it popular in Western 1980s pop music. Shakuhachi
are usually made from the root end of a bamboo culm and
are extremely versatile instruments. Holes can be covered
partially (1/3 covered, 1/2, 2/3, etc.) and pitch varied subtly
or substantially by changing the blowing angle.
Professional players can produce virtually any pitch they
wish from the instrument, and play a wide repertoire of
original Zen music, ensemble music with koto, biwa and
shamisen, folk music, jazz, and other modern pieces.

RYUTEKI
The ryteki literally "dragon flute" is a Japanese transverse
flute made of bamboo. It is used in gagaku, the Shinto classical
music associated with Japan's imperial court. The sound of the
ryteki is said to represent the dragons which ascend the skies
between the heavenly lights (represented by the sh) and the
people of the earth (represented by the hichiriki). The ryteki is
one of the three flutes used in gagaku, in particular to play songs of
Chinese style. The pitch is lower than that of the komabue and
higher than that of the kagurabue.
The ryteki is held horizontally, has seven holes, and has a
length of 40 centimeters and an inner diameter of 1.3 centimeters.
Unlike the western flute, the holes are not covered by the
fingertips, rather, the fleshy part of the finger is used. This allows
for better control of "half-holing" techniques and chromatic notes,
by simply raising the finger slightly above the holes.Since the late
20th century, a few ryteki players have begun to specialize in the
performance of new music. One such performer is Takeshi
Sasamoto.

SHO
The sh () is a Japanesefree reed musical instrument that
was introduced from China during the Nara period. 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 the
Heian 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 kept - as 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.

GUQIN

The guqin literally "ancient stringed instrument" is the

modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical
instrument of the zither family.Traditionally the instrument was
called simply qin but by the twentieth century the term had come
to be applied to many other musical instruments as well: the
yangqin hammered dulcimer, the huqin family of bowed string
instruments, and the Western piano are examples of this usage.The
guqin is a very quiet instrument, with a range of about four
octaves, and its open strings are tuned in the bass register. Its
lowest pitch is about two octaves below middle C, or the lowest
note on the cello. Sounds are produced by plucking open strings,
stopped strings, and harmonics. The use of glissando sliding
tones gives it a sound reminiscent of a pizzicato cello, fretless
double bass or a slide guitar. the qin is also capable of over 119
harmonics, of which 91 are most commonly used.

SUIKINKUTSU

A suikinkutsu literally "water koto cave" is a type

of Japanese garden ornament and music device. A
suikinkutsu consists of an upside down buried pot with a
hole at the top. Water drips through the hole at the top onto
a small pool of water inside of the pot, creating a pleasant
splashing sound that rings inside of the pot similar to a bell
or a Japanese zither called koto. It is usually built next to a
traditional Japanese stone basin called chozubachi, part of a
tsukubai for washing hands before the Japanese tea
ceremony.

SHIME-DAIKO
The shime-daiko is a small Japanese drum. The
word "shime-daiko" comes from a larger word
"tsukeshime-daiko" often shortened to simply, "shimedaiko" or "shime." It has a short but wide body that is
taught with hide on both its upper and bottom side. The
hide is first stretched on metal hoops, then stretched over
the body. Similar to the tsuzumi and to African talking
drums, both drum heads are bound together with cords so
that the drum heads are bound by each other. Like the
larger taiko drums, the shime-daiko is played with sticks
called "bachi," while it's suspended on a stand. Being very
taut, the shime-daiko has a higher pitch than that of normal
taiko. Shime-daiko are used in various Japanese music
ensembles, from nagauta , hayashi , taiko, to folk music, or
min'you ensembles.

SHAMISEN
The shamisen or samisen Japanese, literally "three
taste strings"), also called sangen (literally "three strings")
is a three-stringed musical instrument played with a
plectrum called a bachi. The pronunciation in Japanese is
usually "shamisen" (in western Japan, and often in Edoperiod sources "samisen") but sometimes "jamisen" when
used as a suffix (e.g. Tsugaru-jamisen). In most genres the
shamisen is played with a large weighted plectrum called a
bachi, which was traditionally made with ivory or tortoise
shell but which now is usually wooden, and which is in the
shape likened to a ginkgo leaf. The sound of a shamisen is
similar in some respects to that of the American banjo, in
that the drum-like skin-covered body, known as a d,
amplifies the sound of the strings. As in the clawhammer
style of American banjo playing, the bachi is often used to
strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive
sound.

SANSHIN
The sanshin ( , literally meaning "three
strings") is an Okinawan musical instrument, and precursor
of the Japanese shamisen. Often likened to a banjo, it
consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three
strings.Its close resemblance in both appearance and name
to the Chinese sanxian suggests its Chinese origins, the old
Ryky Kingdom (pre-Japanese Okinawa) having very
close ties with China. In the 16th century, the sanshin
reached the Japanese trading port at Sakai in Osaka, Japan.
In mainland Japan, it evolved into the larger shamisen.The
Okinawan names for the strings are (from thick to thin)
uujiru ( , "male string"), nakajiru ( , "middle
string"), and miijiru (, "female string"). The strings are
white,
except
in
Amami,
where
they
are
yellow.Traditionally, players wore a plectrum, made of a
material such as the horn of the water buffalo, on the index
finger. Many still do, whereas others use a guitar pick or
the nail of the index finger.

KOKYU
The Kokyu is a traditional Japanese string
instrument, the only one played with a bow. Although it
was supposedly introduced to Japan from China along with
the shamisen, its material, shape and sound are unique to
Japan. The instrument also exists in an Okinawan version,
called kucho 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 kokyu was
formerly used as an integral part of the sankyoku ensemble,
along with the koto and shamisen, but beginning in the 20th
century the shakuhachi most often plays the role previously
filled by the kokyu.

KAKKO
The kakko (kanji:) is a Japanese double-headed drum. One
way in which the kakko differs from the regular taiko drum is in
the way in which it is made taut. Like the Shime-Daiko and
tsuzumi, the skin of the heads are first stretched over metal hoops
before they are placed on the body, tying them to each other and
tightening them making them taut. Kakko drums are usually laid on
their sides on stands so that it can be played with sticks called
bachi on both heads. Kakko drums have been used in taiko
ensembles, but they are also used in older Japanese court music
called gagaku.The kakko is derived from the Chinese jiegu, a drum
popular in China during the Tang Dynasty, as is the Korean galgo.

KANE
The kane is a type of bell from Japan. The same
pronunciation of the word in Japanese can also mean metal
or money. It is a tradition in Japan to ring the large
Buddhist temple bells 108 times a few minutes before the
new year. This tradition is called "joya no kane." Often
accompanying Japanese folk music, or min'you, is a dishshaped "kane" (?), or bell-shaped "kane" (?).
It is often hung on a bar, and the player holds the
bell in place with one hand, and beats the kane with a
specialized mallet with the other. There are two specific
sounds that the kane makes: "chin" and "kon." Chin, is
when the mallet hits the interior sides of the bell, while kon
is when the mallet hits the flat round inner face. When
teachers of the kane dictate a rhythm for students to imitate,
he/she does so using the vocables "chin" and "kon." IE"kon kon chiki-chin kon chiki chiki chin kon kon..."

HICHIRIKI

The hichiriki is a double reed instrument used as

one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese gagaku
music, the other being the ryuteki. 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) is controlled largely with the embouchure.
The hichiriki is one of the "sacred" instruments and is often
heard being played at Shinto weddings in Japan. It
produces a sound that many describe as "haunting."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.

HOCCHIKU

Hocchiku ( , also hochiku or hotchiku) is a Japanese

end-blown flute, crafted from root sections of bamboo. After
cleaning and sanding, the heavy root end of the bamboo stalk
reveals many small circular knots where the roots formerly joined
the stalk. The same part of the bamboo plant is also used to
produce the shakuhachi but, unlike the shakuhachi, the hocchiku's
inside (bore) and outside surfaces are left unlaquered and its
mouthpiece is not inlaid. The membranes at the nodes inside a
hocchiku bore are generally left more intact than those of a
shakuhachi. Together, these characteristics make for a visibly and
audibly raw and organic instrument. Hocchiku are sometimes
referred to as jinashi nobekan, meaning "without ji (a paste made
of clay and lacquer, used to smooth the bore on shakuhachi), onepiece" (hocchiku are not cut in two pieces for crafting or storage,
unlike shakuhachi).

HYOSHIGI

The hyoshigi (Japanese:) is a simple Japanese musical

instrument, consisting of two pieces of hardwood or bamboo that
are connected by a thin ornamental rope. Hyoshigi are used in
traditional theaters in Japan to announce the beginning of a
performance. The clappers are played together or on the floor to
create a cracking sound. They are struck, slowly at first, then faster
and faster.

WAGON
W
agon
was
born in
Japan.
The
length
is
about
1.93
centim
eters
and the
width
at the
top is
about
15
centim
eters
and at
the
bottom
is
about
24
centim
eters
and the
thickne
ss
is
about
4.5
centim
eters. It
used to
be
made
of the
Japane
se
cypress
but

now is
made
of
paulow
nia.
There
are six
strings
on
Wagon
.
Hashir
a
is
made
of
a
maple
branch
of with
its skin
as is. It
has the
slid on
the
head in
order
to
stretch
a
string.
The
spatula
which
is
made
of
buffalo
horn is
used to
play
the
Wagon
. The
name
is

'Kotos
aki,' it
is
about
7.6
centim
eters in
length,
about 1
centim
eter in
width,
and
about
1.5
centim
eters in
thickne
ss.
During
the
Konko
kyo
Service
,
the
Wagon
is used
at
'Kaityo
u' and
'Tamag
ushi'
togethe
r with
Kagura
,
Hichiri
ki and
Syakub
yousi.

SYAKUBYOUSHI
"Syakubyosi" is made of a piece of wood which is cut in
two pieces at the center of. They are played by hitting each other.
They are about 36.3 centimeters long (the width of the top is about
7.8 centimeters and the bottom is about 8 millimeters together),
and the thickness is about 1.1 centimeters. Boxwood, sometimes
cherry and Japanese apricot tree is used as material.
Mainly it is used by the conductor as the signal to start and end a
tune at the Service. It is also played at "Kaityou" and "Tamagushi"
with Wagon and Kagurabue.