A "Koto" by Any Other Name: Exploring Japanese Systems of Musical Instrument Classification

Abstract

times in different contexts for the Japanese koto, this article shows that this particular instrument is a signifier of unique meanings in many environments. The instrument is discussed in terms of showing the importance of understanding its labels and the reasons for giving it such labels in the first place. The objective of this discussion is to introduce the many levels of meaning associated with the koto in order to show how the instrument is understood in the Japanese context, an understanding of which contributes to the general comprehension of classifications and names in Japanese culture in general. The distinction between the terms 'classification' and 'name' in the present analysis is one of convenience that differentiates between a class of instruments to which the koto belongs (i.e., the instrument's classification in relation to other instruments in general) and the type of koto that will belong to a class (i.e., the instrument's name in relation to koto types). The differentiation in this discussion shows that the instrument is given a group name on a general level and a type name on a more specific level. The koto is considered by the Japanese to be one of their most important national and traditional instruments. The instrument is also found in Japanese and non-Japanese communities outside Japan, but it is still considered a purely Japanese instrument, even though it was originally transmitted to Japan over twelve hundred years ago and has retained its basic structure ever since. Using organological terminology, the koto is a thirteen-stringed, heterochord, half-tube, plucked, long zither, with two fixed, and thirteen movable, bridges. The scope of this article ranges from the general to the specific in order to show as many of the classifications and names of the koto as possible so that the instrument can be better understood in direct relation to Japanese culture in general. The main emphasis to begin with is on the general classifications of the instrument, where the koto is grouped into classes of instrument types. Later, the emphasis is on specific instrument types that range from earlier historical versions to variations according to manufacture and aesthetic ideals (including variations in decoration and price). While several international classifications and names of the instrument are needed

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 3 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.