Kokyū

The kokyū (胡弓) is a traditional Japanese string instrument, the only one played with a bow. A variant of the instrument also exists in Okinawa, called (胡弓) in Okinawan.

The, like the , has its origins in Okinawa. Although it is similar to Chinese, it actually came to Okinawa via the from Indonesia and Malaysia.

The is similar in construction to the, appearing as a smaller version of that instrument. It is 70 cm tall, with a neck made of ebony and a hollow body made of coconut or Styrax japonicus wood, covered on both ends with cat skin (or snakeskin in Okinawa). In Okinawa, the body is round, while in mainland Japan, it is square like a. It has three (or, more rarely, four) strings and is played upright, with a horsehair-strung bow bowing the strings. It is often tuned the same as a but an octave higher. In central Japan, the was formerly used as an integral part of the  ensemble, along with the  and, but beginning in the 20th century the  began to play the role previously filled by the.

Since Shinei Matayoshi, a and  musician and maker, invented and popularized a four-stringed version of the  in order to expand the instrument's range, the  has become much more popular. A society, dedicated to promoting the instrument, exists in Japan.

The has also been used in jazz and blues, with the American multi-instrumentalist Eric Golub pioneering the instrument's use in these non-traditional contexts. One of the few non-Japanese performers of the instrument, he has recorded as a soloist as well as with the cross-cultural jazz band of John Kaizan Neptune.

The is similar to two Chinese bowed lutes with fingerboards: the  and the. In Japanese, the term may refer broadly to any bowed string instrument of Asian origin, as does the Chinese term. Thus, the Chinese, which is also used by some performers in Japan, is sometimes described as a , along with the , , and. The specific Japanese name for is.

Listening

 * Kokyu audio (click small white stars to listen to individual tracks)