Koto(箏or琴) is the national instrument of Japan, compared with the Swedish Nyckelharpa. The Koto is a stringed musical instrument that is usually about 180 centimeters in length and made from kiri wood. It has 13 strings and the thumb, index finger and the middle finger is used to pluck the strings. The ancestor of the Koto was the Chinese Zheng.

I was taught by the incredibly skilled and gentle Harumi-san who runs the studio in a house called Soushunan. She is offering lessons at her family’s old town house in central Kyoto.

The Japanese harp is one of a series of instruments that give Japanese music and culture is distinctive sound.

One of the most famous pieces of music is “Sakura sakura” and is often heard being played in a variety of circumstances. Sakura means cherry blossom in Japanese, maybe you should try listening to it the next hanami!

I found this event at the great website called Lifull Travering, which is a company that arranges a ton of events for travelers in Japan. What I like about it is that you meet local professionals in Japan who can both speak English and excels at their craft.

箏は日本の伝統楽器、スウェーデンでいうNyckelharpaと似ています。箏は１３の弦からなる約１８０センチの楽器できりの木で出来ています。親指、人差し指、中指の三本の指を使い演奏します。箏は中国のZhengから伝わったものです。

私はプロフェッショナルの春美さんから箏の弾き方と箏についてを教えていただきました。春美さんは京都の和室と障子のある伝統的な家で箏のレッスンをしています。

箏は日本の伝統音楽で使われることが多く、日本らしさの象徴です。

最も有名な曲は「さくらさくら」で、いろいろな場面で聴かれます。お花見の時期に流れている音楽に耳を傾けてみてください。

Lifull Traveringのサービスを利用して行きました。日本を旅行する人にイベントを提供している会社です。特に良い点は、英語が話せる地元の職人と会えることです。