The Peaceful Music of the Japanese Koto (箏) Instrument
The Koto (Japanese: 箏) is the national instrument of Japan. It is often referred to as the Japanese harp. The Japanese Koto has 13 strings that are usually strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. By adjusting the bridges before playing, the musician can change the pitch of the strings. The musician then uses three finger picks to pluck the strings, using only their thumb, index finger & middle finger to play.
Although the Koto instrument is mainly seen as a Japanese instrument, the Koto did in fact originate from China in the 7th or 8th century. It first started out with just 5 strings, then moved to 7 & by the time it came to Japan there were 12 strings, this later increased to the 13 string version used in Japan today.