[Craftsman Encyclopedia] Painted Craftsman Categories (17) Koto
|Koto| In China, it is distinguished from the se (zither), and the types are very distinct. The koto of our country is mentioned in the "Kujiki" as the |Ama no Norikoto| (Heavenly Decree Koto) held by |Oonamuchi no Mikoto|. The |Wagon| (Japanese koto) appears in the "Kakai Sho".
Also, the "Mumeisho" says it originated from lining up and plucking six bows. This is the story of |Ame no Uzume no Mikoto| lining up the |Ama no Ka| bows and plucking the strings.
* "Kinshitsu" refers to the koto and the se (large koto).
* "琹" is a variant character for koto.
* "Kujiki" refers to the historical book "Kuji Hongi" compiled in the Heian period.
* "|Ama no Norikoto|" is the koto that became the origin of the |Wagon|. Also known as |Ame no Nugoto|.
* "|Kakai Sho|" is a commentary on The Tale of Genji written in the Nanboku-cho period.
* "Mumeisho" is a treatise on waka poetry from the Kamakura period. The author is Kamo no Chomei.
* "|Ame no Uzume no Mikoto|" is |Ame no Uzume|.
* Reference: "Kinko Bungei Onchi Sosho Part 3 (Koto)" (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
The thirteen-string instrument played today is called the |So no Koto| (zither). During the reign of Emperor Uda, a court lady named |Iroko| at Mt. Hiko in Chikushi learned this music from a Chinese person. It is also called the Chikushi Koto. Also, according to one theory, the thirteen-string instrument is a halved version of the twenty-five-string instrument. It matches the twelve modes. One string of the instrument is just for show and is not played. Therefore, it is called the half-koto.
Regarding the Yatsuhashi school, around the Kanbun era, a monk from Chikushi named Hosui taught the zither to Yatsuhashi Kengyo. This is what is called Chikushi music.
* "玩ふ" means to play or enjoy.
* "|Iroko|" is Ishikawa Iroko. It is said she learned to play the koto from a Chinese person at Mt. Hiko in Buzen.
* "Chikushi Koto" is |Tsukushi-goto|. Reference: "Genkai: Japanese Dictionary Vol. 1-4 (Tsukushi-goto)" (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
* "半畧" means half-abbreviated.
* "爰に" means here.
* "Yatsuhashi school" is a school of koto music founded by |Yatsuhashi Kengyo|.
* "寛文の比" means around the Kanbun era.
About the |Wagon| (Japanese koto)
“Wakan Sansai Zue: 105 volumes, 1 head volume, 1 tail volume [18]”
“Yamato-mai Music Scores and Costume/Furniture Illustrations”
Question: Does |Koto| refer to a thirteen-string instrument?
Answer: It is generally called |Kin| (koto), but that is not the case. The thirteen-string instrument is the |So| koto. Koto come in large, medium, and small sizes; the large koto has twenty strings, the medium has ten, and the small has five. There is the |Se| (zither). This has twenty-five strings. There is the |Wagon|. Its strings number six. It began from lining up six |small bows| and creating sound. Besides this, there is the one-string |Suma-goto|. The two-string version is called the |Yakumo-goto|. Both are instruments for tuning musical sounds.
About the |Se| (zither)
“Wakan Sansai Zue: 105 volumes, 1 head volume, 1 tail volume [18]”
About the |So no Koto| (zither)
“Wakan Sansai Zue: 105 volumes, 1 head volume, 1 tail volume [18]”
Reference: "Illustrated Elementary Reader", "Revised Elementary Introductory Illustrated Handbook" (National Archives of Japan Digital Archive)
Author's Note: ● indicates characters that could not be deciphered, and □ indicates kanji that cannot be displayed on a computer.
I will update this as I decipher new characters or notice typos and misreadings. For details, please read the "Self-Introduction/Disclaimer" section. 📖