The is the only traditional Japanese string instrument played with a bow. A variant of the instrument also exists in Okinawa, called () in Okinawan.

The , like the , has its origins in Okinawa. Although it is similar to Chinese , it actually came to Okinawa via the from Indonesia and Malaysia.

The is similar in construction to the , appearing as a smaller version of that instrument. In Okinawa, the body is round, while in mainland Japan, it is square like a . It has three (or, more rarely, four) strings and is played upright, with a horsehair-strung bow bowing the strings. It is often tuned the same as a but an octave higher. In central Japan, the was formerly used as an integral part of the ensemble, along with the and , but beginning in the 20th century the began to play the role previously filled by the .

Since Shinei Matayoshi, a and musician and maker, invented and popularized a four-stringed version of the in order to expand the instrument's range, the has become much more popular. A society, dedicated to promoting the instrument, exists in Japan.

The has also been used in jazz and blues, with the American multi-instrumentalist Eric Golub pioneering the instrument's use in these non-traditional contexts. One of the few non-Japanese performers of the instrument, he has recorded as a soloist as well as with the cross-cultural jazz band of John Kaizan Neptune.

The is similar to two Chinese bowed lutes with fingerboards: the and the . In Japanese, the term may refer broadly to any bowed string instrument of Asian origin, as does the Chinese term . Thus, the Chinese , which is also used by some performers in Japan, is sometimes described as a , along with the , , and .<!--Are the leiqin and zhuihu known and played in Japan?--> The specific Japanese name for is .

See also

References

  • Co-Q.com (Japanese)

Listening

  • Kokyu audio (click small white stars to listen to individual tracks)