Japan · Musical Instrument Making
琴 / 箏 (Koto)
The koto (琴/箏) is Japan's national instrument — a 13-stringed zither 180cm in length produced from paulownia (桐 kiri) wood. Koto making is centered in Kyoto and Fukuoka and the defining technical challenge is the paulownia selection and aging: paulownia must be aged 50–100 years after the tree is felled for the wood to reach the acoustic quality required — the cellular structure continues to open and harden over decades, gradually improving resonance. During this aging process the koto-shi (koto maker) must assess the wood's progress by tapping specific positions on the plank — each tap producing a tone that indicates the resonance quality of that section. The final acoustic assessment before construction begins involves 21 specific tap positions on the paulownia plank, each assessed for tone, resonance length, and uniformity.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not separately inscribed; recognized within Japanese music heritage
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