Spirit of Wa: Masterpieces for the Koto — Japan’s Beautiful Melodies
The koto is an instrument with a soft tone and an enchanting sound.
Koto music is perfect for quintessentially Japanese occasions like New Year’s celebrations.
When you listen to it, it feels familiar to the ear and calms the heart.
In this article, I’d like to introduce many famous koto pieces.
By the way, I’ve been using the character “琴” for koto, but some of you might be thinking, shouldn’t it be “箏”?
Strictly speaking, “koto” (琴) and “koto/so” (箏) refer to different instruments.
However, since I want to cover as many pieces as possible, I’m using “koto” here as an umbrella term.
Please read on to the end.
Playlist
| Spirit of Wa: Masterpieces for the Koto — Japan’s Beautiful Melodies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | Immortal Deity Dance SuiteYui Kore Shins’ichi |  play_arrow | This piece, often regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of contemporary koto music… |
| 2 | January 1st |  play_arrow | If you're looking for New Year's songs, here are some of the most classic ones... |
| 3 | Song of the WindSawai Tadao |  play_arrow | Composed in 1970, which is quite new for a koto piece… |
| 4 | Beyond AscensionSawai Higarū |  play_arrow | Tadao Sawai, the founder of the Sawai Koto Institute, and Kazue Sawai… |
| 5 | Moon over the Ruined Castle |  play_arrow | It’s not strictly a koto piece, but here you go… |
| 6 | Meiji Pine, Bamboo, and Plum |  play_arrow | A “shōchikubai” piece, with the New Year’s decorations of pine, bamboo, and plum as its theme… |
| 7 | Ring of DreamsSawai Higarū |  play_arrow | An all-female, so-called wagakki (traditional Japanese instruments) version of ga… |
| 8 | Concerto of PinesMiki Minoru |  play_arrow | From a dignified solo to an elegant ensemble, and then the shakuhachi... |
| 9 | Crimsonkafuugetsu |  play_arrow | “Crimson” intertwines the 25-string koto, shakuhachi, and piano... |
| 10 | Song of the PloversYoshizawa Kengyō |  play_arrow | Said to be one of the representative pieces of early modern Japanese music… |
| 11 | koto songHosokawa Toshio |  play_arrow | This piece, known as being by a contemporary music composer, … |
| 12 | OKOTOSawai Higarū |  play_arrow | Created with a new sensibility using the traditional instrument, the koto… |
| 13 | Yachiyo ShishiFujinaga Kengyō |  play_arrow | Yachiyo, which had originally been cherished as a piece for the shakuhachi... |
| 14 | MemoryEto Kimio |  play_arrow | Memories—its beautiful, heartrending melody lingers in the heart... |
| 15 | Koto music: HigurashiMiyagi Michio |  play_arrow | Here is a piece composed by Michio Miyagi during the Taishō era… |
| 16 | Song of the Autumn WindKozaki Kengyo |  play_arrow | Composed by Kōzaki Kengyō during the Tenpō era of the Edo period… |
| 17 | vortexKagrra |  play_arrow | “Vortex” begins with an intro melody played on the koto… |
| 18 | Spring SeaMiyagi Michio |  play_arrow | The koto melody that evokes the history of Japan carries the seasons... |
| 19 | Ekusō KotoSawai Higarū |  play_arrow | Hikaru Sawai continues to compose new pieces for the koto... |
| 20 | Etenraku |  play_arrow | This piece, Etenraku, which is one of the compositions of gagaku... |
| 21 | Mode of YatsudanYatsuhashi Kengyō |  play_arrow | Yatsuhashi, a koto performer and composer from the early Edo period… |
| 22 | Phase changes of waterMiyagi Michio |  play_arrow | Michio Miyagi, a genius koto performer and composer, ... |
| 23 | Koto piece: Rokudan no ShirabeYatsuhashi Kengyō |  play_arrow | This piece is by Yatsuhashi Kengyō, the founder of modern-era koto music... |
| 24 | cherry blossom |  play_arrow | As a form of traditional Japanese music on the international stage... |
| 25 | the sound of the rapidsMiyagi Michio |  play_arrow | It’s a piece composed by Michio Miyagi when he was 29 years old, and… |
| 26 | Autumn SongMiki Minoru |  play_arrow | Written in 1980 for shakuhachi and 20-string koto… |
| 27 | Five Sections of Fulling BlocksKozaki Kengyo |  play_arrow | This piece was composed by Mitsuhashi Kengyō, who was active in the late Edo (Bakumatsu) period... |
| 28 | Symphonic Eclogue for 20-String Koto and OrchestraIfukube Akira |  play_arrow | Symphonic E… for 20-String Koto and Orchestra |