Feature Living In Tune with Nature: Japan's Connection to Wood

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THE SOUNDS OF TRADITION IN THE ART OF MAKING KOTO

The koto is a traditional Japanese musical instrument popular both TAMAKI KAWASAKI in Japan and overseas thanks to its elegant shape and vibrant, beautiful tone. Masahiro Kaneko, a koto craftsman in Tokyo, produces exquisite Tokyo-style koto using Aizu-kiri—paulownia wood from the Aizu area. He shares his philosophy regarding the art of making koto.

N his workshop overflowing Musical instruments created and a few other Tokyo craftsmen with materials and tools by attaching strings over a build, is rare and valuable. Ifor making koto as well as wooden base have a long history, Compared to instruments made unfinished instruments, Masahiro and instruments similar to the in Fukuyama in Hiroshima Kaneko laughs and says he koto exist elsewhere in Asia. Prefecture—one of Japan’s major remembers where everything is. The number of strings of an koto-producing areas—those made A koto’s body—carved from a instrument equals how many in Tokyo have a different shape single tree and measuring over tones it can play at a time, and 180 centimeters in length—is vary from only one string to up to compared to that of a dragon and eighty. The most common is the called the kora, or shell. After thirteen-stringed wagon (Japanese koto are decorated with materials zither), which uses movable such as tortoiseshell, ivory and bridges called kotoji to tune the kimono fabric, their cost can vary strings. It was brought to Japan from a few hundred U.S. dollars from Tang Dynasty China during up to ninety thousand dollars or the Nara Period (710-94) and used more. “It’s the same as violins— in gagaku, Japanese court music. the instrument’s sound and value Kaneko learned koto-making are completely dependent on the techniques from his father, a materials used and the maker’s master koto craftsman. The Kaneko creates each part of the koto to skill,” Kaneko says. Tokyo-koto, which only Kaneko ensure each one is unique and original

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1 Koto craftsman Masahiro Kaneko 2 The process of creating a koto requires many tools and detailed work 3 Each koto has a beautiful cloth-covered cap that protects the "head" of the instrument

and size, and boast a relatively pleasing can be altered instantly manmade materials. mellower sound. by a flake of only a few millimeters The art of making koto has Out of all the koto-making while I shape the wood. This is changed with the times. Kaneko materials, Kaneko is most why wood is interesting.” says his philosophy is to make particular about the quality Unfortunately, Aizu paulownia instruments quickly and precisely of the wood. “There are many stocks are declining, he adds. while combining the old and the types of kiri (paulownia), and the Fortunately, his storage facility in new in a well-balanced manner. hardness, softness and resonance Fukushima holds many valuable He honors traditional materials of a koto’s sound depends on unfinishedkoto , each made from but is not shy about incorporating where the wood was grown. logs he selected personally. contemporary technology where Paulownia from Aizu in Japan Kaneko is also obsessed with possible, such as putting koto creates particularly fine, resonant the materials used for creative components together using sounds.” design work on the instrument, modern adhesives. “The world However, selecting kiri is not such as the kotoji bridges and of traditional crafts is declining easy. The craftsman purchases a ends of the main body—called in some ways but improving in large kiri log, judging quality by ryuto and ryubi—which literally others,” he says. “There are high evaluating the wood grain. After mean “dragon head and tail.” school and elementary school drying and sawing it, however, Ceramic and plastic materials have koto players with the ears to chance dictates whether the replaced the ivory, tortoiseshell, recognize good sounds. I’m glad grain will appear as expected; deerhorn and whalebone inlays the younger generations have a sometimes it does not, and other once used on these parts because passion for good sounds and good times can be far more beautiful of mass production, cost reduction instruments.” than expected. and resource protection. Making Kaneko expects to continue "A koto is considered more koto requires thorough knowledge shaping the wood and natural aesthetically attractive if the of materials required, and Kaneko materials into instruments that wood’s aging creates a grain with devises ways to make beautiful create those beautiful sounds for more wavy patterns,” Kaneko sounds by combining traditional future generations. explains. “But the grain I find natural materials and new

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