Koto

Koto is a string instrument with more than a thousand year history in Japan.

A standard koto has 13 strings but the earliest koto had only five strings and was about one meter (three feet) long. This instrument is approximately 160 centimeters long and about twenty centimeters wide. The koto can even be as long as 200 centimeters.

There are two types of strings that were used for Koto.  Strings are made of silk and polyester, and silk string is softer and eristic compared to polyester strings.  In general, polyester strings are strong, but it can cause to damage on hand/fingers. There are thirteen strings, each string has its own name, and the strings are counted from the top to bottom, viewed by the performer.

The koto is a Japanese instrument, though it has roots in Chinese and Korean cultures. The koto we know today is derived from the Chinese zheng and the se. It also is believed to come from the Korean gayageum and the ajaeng.

This instrument is made from the beautiful Paulownia tree wood, which is native to Japan. This tree is also known as the Empress tree, and the wood from these trees is referred to as Kiri.

The closest ancestor to the koto is the Chinese guzheng, and it was introduced to Japan between the 7^th and 8^th centuries. The Japanese koto belongs to a musical instrument family called the zither. The instrument gets its name because koto was a general term for all stringed instruments around the time the guzheng first arrived in Japan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujzMHLac404