The shakuhachi is a flute made of bamboo that's played by blowing on one end. The koto , meanwhile, is a large, wooden instrument with 13 strings. It has a curved face, and the pitch is adjusted with movable bridges placed under each string. It's played with picks worn on the fingers, similar to those used in playing the guitar. The left hand presses down on the strings to bend notes and create other effects.
Historians think the koto was born around the fifth to third century B.C. in China.
Originally it had only 5 strings but increased to 12 strings and then to 13. Initially, it was performed in ensembles with other stringed and wind instruments, but eventually it came to be performed by itself. It's also commonly performed with the shamisen and shakuhachi or as accompaniment to songs. Sadly, modern Japanese rarely hear these traditional instruments being played live these days. A number of elementary and middle schools hold classes in traditional music, though, and arrange outings to theaters and concert halls to see and hear traditional performing arts.