koto image

        This image was found on http://www.duosokyo.com/instruments.html.This instrument is called koto and using in traditional Japanese songs. The koto is played on the ground while artist kneels on the ground and pluck it.the instrument is play with picks on your three main finger, the picks are called tsume or claws.  The movable bridges gives the instrument higher and lower sounds when played. It has thirteenth string and movable ivory bridge.this instrument has names for the different part of it.the main body of the koto is called Ryuko or the dragon`s back. The next part of the instrument is where the strings gather up at the top , this part is called Ryubi or the dragons tail.the last price is the ivory bridges these are called ji.this instrument was originally from China and then moved over to Japan around the sixteenth century, the instrument was very popular  with royalty and up class. The sounds of this instrument help tell what's happening in a play or even the story in the song. This instrument is one of the most iconic price when think of traditional Japanese music and art. I choice this item because I find Japanese culture really fantastic Nd would like to dig more in to it. A lot of this Japanese animations I watch have this instrument in it when they are telling a story about traditional Japan.