The instruments known in Japan as kokyû (figure 1) can be classified into three basic types according to their shape and construction: Chinese, Okinawan , and mainland Japanese.
There are three subtypes of Chinese kokyû. The most important and most widely used is a two-stringed instrument that resembles the Chinese huqin . As with the huqin, the bow of the instrument passes between the two strings. Imported from China in the eighteenth century, during the Qing dynasty,...