JAPANESE MUSICAL

INSTRUMENTS
Aerophones or Wind
Instruments
SHO – a mouth organ that is made
from bamboo or wood
SHAKAHACHI – a bamboo flute
with four holes
HICHIRIKI – an instrument similar
to an oboe
Chordophones or String
Instruments
KOTO – a famous Japanese zither,
with 13 silk strings, that is laid
horizontally on the floor
 SHAMISEN – a flat-backed lute
that has skin-covered bellies and
three strings
 GEKKIN – a flat backed lute that
has a very shallow body, wood
belly, frets and silk strings attached
to elegant pegs
BIWA – a Japanese version of the
p’ipa that has four strings with frets
on the belly and slim lateral tuning
pegs
Idiophone or Percussion
Instruments
TSURI DAIKO – a suspended drum
used in the gagaku ensemble that
has a lacquered body and tacked
head