The Koto: A Traditional Instrument in Contemporary Japan [Hardcover]

Henry Johnson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 9074822630 | ISBN-13: 978-9074822633 | Publication Date: June 2004

The "koto" is a unique Japanese musical instrument. It has a history in Japan of over 1200 years and today does much to represent Japan's traditional past. This book examines this fascinating instrument in terms of its physical form, manufacture and instrument types, its performance traditions and social organisations, and its contexts of performance. Each of these aspects is explored in detail, providing ways of understanding the place of this traditional instrument in contemporary Japan. This well illustrated volume is the first in English to examine the "koto" in such depth. It brings together in one volume a detailed study of this remarkable instrument. Integral to this study is a look at the social organizations of "koto" performance, and how they regulate and influence the transmission of the instrument and its music. Emphasis is placed on the internal structures of performing traditions, as well as 'inside' and 'outside' perspectives that are important in establishing one's place as a player, Johnson also examines the "koto" and the significance of its main performance contexts, beginning with the role of the player and of mediated contexts. He demonstrates how different music traditions have used and devised notations systems as an additional means by which traditions identify themselves. Also included in the book is an examination of scales, tunings and music genres, as well as the instrument's idiomatic language of music ornamention.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'The koto...is a thirteen-string Japanese zither' The traditional koto is about six feet long with thirteen movable bridges placed under its strings. The player sits at the end known as the 'head.' Nontraditional kotos can vary in length as well as some of the design details. As with many objects and activities in Japanese society, the koto and the playing of it have been used to signify the social class and certain social situations. Varied individuals such as aristocrats, blind male professionals and female amateurs indicated their status by how they played the instrument. An ethnomusicologist at the U. of Otago in New Zealand, Johnson ranges through the construction and design of the koto, music for it and the performance of this, the koto's place in Japanese culture, and changes in these as Japanese society has changed. Color photographs of different perspectives, including close-ups when called for, accompany the technical, historical, and sociological topics. With the size and quality of a coffee-table art book, this work makes this somewhat specialized subject readily accessible to readers with different interests about Japanese culture and musicology."--The Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hotei Publishing (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9074822630
• ISBN-13: 978-9074822633
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,377,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book about the wonderful Japanese koto, January 1, 2005

By 

Stephen Harrison "Kotoman" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Koto: A Traditional Instrument in Contemporary Japan (Hardcover)

Along with Mt. Fuji, Cherry Blossoms, Geisha, and the Shamisen, the Japanese koto is THE symbol of traditional Japan. Other then a couple of advanced musicological studies, and a chapter or two in other books about Japanese music, no other book gives such a complete reference to this all important instrument. Not only does this book include just about every aspect about the history, design, construction, and music theory of the Japanese koto, but it is also a beautiful book with wonderful photos, diagrams, and charts covering the full spectum of knowledge about this instrument. From Yatsuhashi to the most modern "Doremi Popcorn" koto, "The Koto" is also very accessible to the average reader. As a student of the koto, I only dared to dream about a work such as this, and now my dream has come true. My only small complaint (if any) is that for the price, a CD might have been included with a sampling of koto pieces, illustrating the diverse music that the koto has produced over its almost 2,000 year history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History of a traditional stringed Japanese instrument, December 9, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Koto: A Traditional Instrument in Contemporary Japan (Hardcover)

The Koto: A Traditional Instrument In Contemporary Japan is a thorough, illustrated history of a traditional stringed Japanese instrument. The text goes into depth on the koto's useage throughout history, techniques for tuning and playing it, its performance today, methods for constructing individual instruments as works of art, and much more. A comprehensive resource covering just about anything and everything there is to know about the haunting melodies that continue to be played on this remarkable instrument, up to the modern day.

5.0 out of 5 stars traditional instrument of Japan, October 28, 2004

By 

Henry Berry "Henry Berry" (Southport, CT) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Koto: A Traditional Instrument in Contemporary Japan (Hardcover)

"The koto...is a thirteen-string Japanese zither." The traditional koto is about six feet long with thirteen movable bridges placed under its strings. The player sits at the end known as the "head." Nontraditional kotos can vary in length as well as some of the design details. As with many objects and activities in Japanese society, the koto and the playing of it have been used to signify the social class and certain social situations. Varied individuals such as aristocrats, blind male professionals, and female amateurs indicated their status by how they played the instrument. An ethnomusicologist at the U. of Otago in New Zealand, Johnson ranges through the construction and design of the koto, music for it and the performance of this, the koto's place in Japanese culture, and changes in these as Japanese society has changed. Color photographs of different perspectives, including close-ups when called for, accompany the technical, historical, and sociological topics. With the size and quality of a coffee-table art book, this work makes this somewhat specialized subject readily accessible to readers with different interests about Japanese culture and musicology.