Pop Japan

On the advent of different genres of music, using the alternative and the popular musical instruments, let us take a glimpse on how Japan has honed its modern day music by looking back at their traditional and preserved musical instruments:

1. Koto - This is one of the most popular traditional musical instruments of Japan. It resembles Korea's gayageum, but koto is quite bigger. The 13-stringed instrument was brought to Japan as early as the 7th Century. The silk strings of koto is played with ivory plectrum on the thumb and the first two fingers of the right hand.

Photo by Smgregory at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under Creative Commons.

2. Shakuhachi - It is a wind instrument that has religious roots. The wooden flute is used by the monks as a practice of suizen or blowing meditation.

3. Shamisen - It is one of the traditional string instruments of Japan played with a plectrum. The three-stringed instrument looks like a guitar but it has a smaller case and a slimmer neck. It also lacks frets. The original shamisen's skin usually comes from dogs or cats, but a special type of paper or plastic already have been a good alternative.

Photo by Midori. Licensed under Creative Commons.

4. Wadaiko (Taiko) Drums - Taiko drums are usually seen in Japanese matsuri (festival). The body of the drums usually come from the large trunk of zelkova tree.

Photo by Taiko-Kaiser-Drums. Licensed under Creative Commons.

5. Tsuzumi - It is another percussion instrument, shaped like an hour glass.

6. Ichigenkin - It is another zither-type instrument, but has a single string. The musician plucks the string with an ivory plectrum and presses the middle finger of the left hand against the hard wood soundboard to vary the pitch.

7. Biwa - It is another native string-type instrument which has a wooden body shaped like a pear. It is also played with a plectrum called bachi.

8. Kugo - Kugo is the Japanese version of a harp. The difference of kugo to the normal harp is that its strings are angled.

9. Tonkori - Tonkori is a narrow, zither-type musical instrument, shaped like a sword.  The five-stringed instrument is rooted from the Ainu people.

10. Sanshin - Sanshin resembles shamisen, as they both have three strings and narrow neck. The difference is that the sanshin's body is made up of snake's skin. It also originated from Okinawa.

Photo by Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Japan isn't just the home for J-Pop and the anime songs. Japanese folk music has deeper roots than expected. However, this does not hinder them to innovate in their art, culture, and music.

Banner photo by Andrew Plumb from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons.