The
Koto

The koto arrived from China more than a thousand years ago and was reshaped, over centuries, into something unmistakably Japanese — first an instrument of the imperial court, later the centrepiece of refined domestic music. It is a long paulownia-wood body strung with thirteen strings, each raised on its own movable bridge so the player can tune and re-tune by sliding them. Played with picks worn on three fingers, it has carried the seasons of Japanese music — spring rain, autumn moon — for generations.

What gives the koto its particular poise is what the left hand does behind the bridges: pressing a string after it is plucked to raise its pitch, releasing it to let the note sag, producing the gentle bends and shimmering ornaments that define the style. The result is crystalline but never cold — bright plucked tones softened by these after-bends, with plenty of space between phrases. It is music that rewards attention without demanding it, which is why it sits so well behind reading.