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.