Koto
琴
🌍 Japan
Japan's 1.8-metre floor zither — 1,300 years of elegance, precision, and beauty
Amy says:
Konnichiwa! I'm Amy! The koto is Japan's national instrument — a 1.8-metre long zither that lies flat on the floor while you kneel beside it. Those 13 strings are plucked with ivory or plastic picks called tsume worn on three fingers. The sound is delicate and precise — like rain on water, or wind through bamboo. Koto music is central to Japanese court music (gagaku), folk songs, and modern compositions. Beautiful!
Quick Facts
Strings
13 strings (traditional)
Material
Paulownia wood body
Length
~180 cm (1.8 metres)
Age
~1,300 years (Nara period)
Discover the Koto
The koto is 1.8 metres long — about as long as a tall person — and lies flat on the floor. Each of its 13 strings has its own moveable bridge (called a ji), which the player adjusts before each piece to create the desired scale.
Instrument Type
String
Known As
琴
Where It's Played
📷 Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC licence)
For Educators
Music is a universal language! Use this page to spark classroom discussions about culture, history, and how music connects communities around the world.
Did You Know?
Yatsuhashi Kengyō (1614–1685) is considered the father of classical koto music — he created the foundational repertoire that koto students still learn today, 400 years later.
Modern koto composers have created works combining the instrument with Western orchestra, jazz, and electronic music — extending its 1,300-year tradition into the 21st century.
Larger versions of the koto exist — the 17-string bass koto (jushichigen) was invented in 1921. Even larger experimental versions with 20, 25, and 80 strings have been created by avant-garde Japanese composers.
What Makes the Koto Special?
Moveable Bridges
Each of the 13 strings sits on its own small carved bridge (ji) that can be slid along the body to change the string's length and pitch. Players tune the instrument differently for different scales and pieces.
Tsume Picks
Players wear picks (tsume) on their right thumb, index, and middle fingers — traditionally made from ivory, now from tortoiseshell plastic or metal. Left-hand fingers push strings down between the bridge and the end to bend pitch.
National Instrument of Japan
The koto appears in Japan's most ancient literature (The Tale of Genji, c. 1000 AD), in Shinto rituals, in imperial court music, and in modern compositions. It is woven into Japanese cultural identity across 1,300 years.
Keep Exploring the World!
Music is the heartbeat of every culture. Discover more incredible instruments and the countries where they are played.