Fukuyama-koto are koto (so) zithers made in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. In 1985 (Showa 60), they became the first musical instrument to be designated a Traditional Craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (a national Traditional Craft). Since the Meiji era, Fukuyama City has been regarded as Japan's top koto producer, and it is said to account for about 70 percent of the koto made in Japan. Using the finest seasoned paulownia wood, skilled craftspeople finish almost every process by hand. The appeal of Fukuyama-koto is said to lie in the combination of an excellent tone, the beautiful grain of the 'ko' (soundboard), which forms the top board, and gorgeous decoration. In the past, they were mass-produced under a division-of-labor system in which different craftspeople handled each process, building a major production area. At the peak, there are said to have been about 500 craftspeople in the city, but today there are six manufacturers. Locally, efforts to pass on the skills continue, such as making a koto to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the construction of Fukuyama Castle.
Origin
The history of Fukuyama-koto is said to have begun around Genna 5 (1619), when Mizuno Katsunari entered Fukuyama and built the castle. In the Fukuyama Domain, successive lords encouraged yokyoku (Noh chanting) and music, and singing and music flourished in the castle town. In the late Edo period, the koto musician 葛原勾当 (Kuzuhara Koto, 1812-1882), born in Kannabe (present-day Kannabe Town, Fukuyama City), returned home after training in Kyoto and was active in Bingo and Bitchu. His disciples are said to have numbered more than 580, and demand for koto increased.
History
Full-scale koto manufacturing began in the early Meiji era, and in the Taisho period production increased with the introduction of a division-of-labor system by process. It became possible to make good-sounding koto in large quantities at reasonable prices, and Fukuyama became a major koto-producing area. In the days when a koto was considered an essential part of a bride's trousseau, demand was high, and at the peak there were about 20 manufacturers. Shipments peaked around Showa 45 (1970). In 2000, the 'Shin Fukuyama-koto' (New Fukuyama-koto) was developed, with its overall length shortened by about 40 cm for ease of handling.
Features
Fukuyama-koto are made from the finest seasoned paulownia wood. Many workshops use paulownia from Aizu (Fukushima Prefecture), and the logs are left to dry naturally outdoors for about one to three years. Under the rules for the traditional craft designation, paulownia must be used for the wooden body. Carving ayasugi-bori or komochi ayasugi-bori on the underside of the ko, and searing the ko and the back board with an iron (kote), are also among the rules. The decoration process takes the longest, and the tamabuchi-maki decoration on the part called the kashiwaba is said to be a distinctive feature.
Techniques
Making the ko (kuri hollowing and carving)
The process of cutting the ko, which forms the body of the koto, from paulownia wood and adjusting its thickness by kuri, hollowing out the inside. Ayasugi-bori or komochi ayasugi-bori is carved on the underside of the ko. The certified traditional craftsperson 藤井善章 says that how this thickness is judged determines whether the sound is good or bad.
Ko-yaki (searing the ko)
A technique in which the surface of the ko is seared with a hot iron to bring out the wood grain and harden the surface. After searing, it is polished to give it luster. A feature article reports that an iron heated to about 1,200 degrees is used. The beautiful grain of Fukuyama-koto comes from this process.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Sawing
Paulownia logs are selected and sawn to suit the size of the koto.
- 2
Drying
The wood is dried naturally outdoors over about one to three years.
- 3
Making the ko
The ko is hollowed out, carved on the underside, seared and polished.
- 4
Decoration
Ornaments are attached to parts such as the ryukaku and kashiwaba, and maki-e is applied to the kuchimae.
- 5
Finishing
Metal fittings are attached, and the koto is adjusted while checking the sound.
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Artisans & Workshops
藤井琴製作所
A koto workshop in Miyuki-cho Shimoiwanari, Fukuyama City, whose head, 藤井善章, is a certified traditional craftsperson. Using paulownia from Aizu, he carves the ko while reading the character of the wood so that the sound is even. A feature article reports that he deliberately does not make the ko uniform in thickness, aiming for a clear sound that carries far. The workshop also accepts koto repairs from all over Japan.
Official site →新和琴楽
A koto workshop in Miyuki-cho Kamiiwanari, Fukuyama City. Its predecessor was 和田楽器店, established in 1936 when 和田善亀, who had trained at 牧本楽器, went independent. The company states that Fukuyama's koto-making techniques have been handed down from koto makers dating back to the Edo period, such as 牧本長蔵. It makes 13-string and 17-string koto.
Official site →小田琴製作所
A koto workshop founded in 1968, where 小田和幸 and his son 智之, the second generation, make and repair koto. 智之 studied wooden furniture making at a vocational training school and worked at a furniture-related company before becoming a koto craftsman. In 2022, using paulownia felled in the plaza in front of the keep of Fukuyama Castle, the workshop made a koto commemorating the 400th anniversary of the castle's construction together with the cooperative and others.
Official site →How to Buy
- Online sales by 藤井琴製作所
- 藤井琴製作所 sells koto on its official website and can ship them to distant locations. Koto with a kuri-ko (hollowed-out soundboard) of Aizu wood or North American wood are listed from around 450,000 yen, including tax and shipping. If you wish, you can also try playing before buying.Where to buy →PR
- 内山琴製作所
- A koto workshop at 4-11-2 Hikino-cho Kita, Fukuyama City. It handcrafts and sells everything from koto for teaching to koto for performance, and also handles 17-string, 20-string and 25-string koto. In addition to mail order, it accepts custom orders and repairs and runs koto classes.Where to buy →PR
- 福山邦楽器製造業協同組合
- The Fukuyama-koto production-area cooperative, with its secretariat inside the Fukuyama Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 2-10-1 Nishimachi, Fukuyama City (tel. 084-921-2349). It also holds the regional collective trademark for 'Fukuyama-koto' and serves as a point of contact for questions about manufacturers.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
藤井琴製作所 工場見学
広島県福山市御幸町下岩成735-1
Free factory tours are offered to the general public and students. Skilled craftspeople explain the processes from making the ko and decoration through to completion. Business hours are 8:00 to 17:00, and the workshop is closed on the second and fourth Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. Apply for a tour by contacting the workshop in advance.
View details →FAQ
Q. Are '琴' and '箏' different instruments?
A. Strictly speaking, they are different instruments. What is commonly called '琴' (koto) today is the '箏' (so), a 13-string instrument introduced in the Nara period. The original '琴' (kin) refers to an instrument different from the so. Fukuyama-koto also fall into the category of the so.
Q. What kind of koto is the 'Shin Fukuyama-koto'?
A. It is a short koto, about 140 cm long, developed in 2000. It is about 40 cm shorter than a standard koto (about 180 cm), making it easier to carry and store. Because the strings are wound onto metal fittings, even non-specialists can replace them. It has been reported that it is also used in classes at junior high schools in Fukuyama City.