Music for stringed instruments was originally written for both the six-stringed wagon and the thirteen-stringed gakugoto but since the use of zokuso (common koto) was permitted, the koto has become more popular.

A Chinese stringed instrument called the sangen was introduced to Sakai, Osaka, through Ryukyu toward the end of the Warring States period (Japan).

As far as that point is concerned, it can be said that it's the most highly developed among the bridges used in the world's acoustic stringed instruments.

For example, the tones of the Shamisen may change greatly even when only its bridge (a component of a stringed musical instrument) is replaced.

As a typical example, in the case of the Shamisen, slightly different instrument bodies, plectrums, bridges (components of stringed musical instruments) and strings (for musical instruments) are provided for each category of Shamisen music.

Silk strings are still used in most stringed Wagakki (although, for the So, polyester strings are becoming common for economic reasons), and this is because beautiful tones, which can be generated only by silk strings, are highly appreciated.

Because strings (silk strings) are used in stringed Wagakki and bamboo are used in wind Wagakki, the Wagakki, and even music played by them, are sometimes referred to as 'Ito-take or shi-chiku,' which means 'strings and bamboo.'

For this reason, even in Japan musical instruments were once referred to as 'Hachion,' but now they're commonly classified into three categories: 'Hajikimono' (stringed instruments), 'Fukimono' (wind instruments) and 'Uchimono' (percussion instruments).

As is the case with Western musical instruments, Wagakki can also be classified into four categories: stringed instruments, woodwind instruments, brass instruments and percussion instruments.

Stringed musical instruments

It is classified into the zither group of stringed instruments.

Ji is a part of Soh which corresponds to koma or bridge of other stringed instruments, and its function is to prop ito, defining pitch and transmitting vibration to the body.

In China, there exist many kinds of stringed instrument that belong to zither group depending upon the ages, regions, or styles.

Sanxian literally means three strings, and this is a traditional, lute-like Chinese stringed instrument with a long neck.

It has an indirect origin as a part a fire making tool or harp, and it is thought to be often related as the origin of stringed instruments in various places of the world.

Judging from this practice, a bow can be thought as one of the origins of string instruments in various parts of the world and the original bow was sometimes used as a string instrument instead of the Yumiya used for ceremonies.

Apart from 和琴 (Wagon), 'Kin (琴) no Koto,' which was also introduced in the Nara period, was apparently regarded as an important stringed instrument because it related to the religious services of the Chinese court: stringed instruments, all of which were called 'OO no Koto' in those days, were regarded as superior to wind instruments, because wind instruments would not make sound unless human beings breathed into them.

Furthermore, since the Nara period, when various stringed instruments were introduced from China, the word 'koto' had become the general term for those stringed instruments.

For instance, in ancient writing such as "Genji Monogatari," 'Koto' indicates all plucked string instruments such as 'So (箏) no Koto' and Biwa (a four-string Japanese lute) besides 'Kin (琴) no Koto,' which is explained in this paragraph.

Biwa (biwa, biba, pipa) is one of the stringed instruments of the lute family in East Asia.