nntsuzu/KFTT huggingface dataset:
English: It is said that Ikuta Kengyo in Kyoto developed the way of playing Soh (tuning, playing method, improvement of a pick) as well as Soh music in the era of Genroku.
Japanese: まず京都の生田検校が元禄頃、箏の楽器法（調弦および奏法や爪の改良）や楽曲を大きく発展させたといわれる。
English: As a matter of fact, however, a lot of new schools were born in kamigata region (Osaka and Kyoto regions) at that time and each of them independently strived to improve the pick or compose music.
Japanese: しかし、実際には当時上方にはいくつもの新流派が生まれ、それぞれ独自に爪の改良や楽曲の作曲を行なっていた。
English: Although Ikuta Kengyo is credited for performing the ensemble of shamisen (three-stringed Japanese banjo) (jiuta - traditional songs with shamisen accompaniment) and Soh, such performance seems to have been conducted by other schools as well.
Japanese: 生田検校は三味線（地歌）と箏を合奏させた功績が大きいと言われて来たが、これも実際には諸流派でも行なわれたらしい。
English: In Edo, Yamada Kengyo composed jorui (dramatic narrative chanted with shamisen accompaniment)-style music and improved a pick in the late 18th century, and he became the founder of Yamada school.
Japanese: 18世紀後半に山田検校が江戸で浄瑠璃風の歌ものを中心とした楽曲の作曲や楽器の改良を行い、山田流の始祖となった。
English: As a result, the Ikuta school prospered in the western region of Japan while Yamada school prospered in the eastern region of Japan until the end of the Edo period.
Japanese: こうして幕末までには、西日本では生田流系が、東日本では山田流が盛んに行なわれていた。
English: The late Edo period: Urasaki Kengyo who adapted Kyoryu tegotomono (Kyoto-style chamber music) to Soh music, Yaezaki Kengyo and Mitsuzaki Kengyo
Japanese: 後期：京流手事物の地歌曲に複音楽的な箏の手付をした浦崎検校、八重崎検校、光崎検校
English: During the Edo period, ordinary people were not allowed to become professional Soh musician because this profession was exclusive for blind persons under Todo system.
Japanese: また江戸時代において、箏は当道制度、つまり盲人音楽家の専売特許であったため、一般人がプロの職業として箏の演奏家になることは認められなかった。
English: As a result, while shamisen music other than jiuta developed as accompanying music for kabuki and ningyo joruri (traditional Japanese puppet theater) that involve visual elements, Soh music developed as purely music independently from theater arts.
Japanese: このため地歌以外の三味線音楽が歌舞伎や人形浄瑠璃などの視覚的要素を伴う伴奏音楽として発展したのに対し、箏曲は劇場とは関係のない純音楽として発展した。
English: The central components of Soh music were 'kumiuta,' songs accompanied by Soh, and 'danmono,' solo of musical instrument.
Japanese: その中心となるものは箏の伴奏付き歌曲である「組歌」と、器楽独奏曲である「段物」であった。
English: Later, Soh music added many jiuta, especially tegotomono, to its repertoire through ensemble and further developed.
Japanese: そして地歌に合奏することで、多くの地歌曲、ことに手事物をレパートリーとして、大いに発展した。
English: While shamisen developed as a kind of ordinary people's musical instrument because shamisen music linked with the red-light district, Soh music was regarded as 'music of high spirituality' by samurai families because many pieces were created based on dynastic style literature, and it was praised as an essential achievement for the daughters of samurai families (amateur).
Japanese: また三味線音楽が遊里との結びつきも持っていて、どちらかといえば三味線が庶民の楽器として普及したのに対し、箏曲は王朝文学に取材したものが多いなど高雅な精神性を持ち、このため武家では「高尚な音楽」として、箏は武家の娘のたしなみ（アマチュア）としてもてはやされた。
English: The Todo system was abolished during the Meiji era and people other than blind persons were allowed to become professional Soh musician.
Japanese: 明治時代以降は当道制度が廃止され、盲人以外の一般にも箏の演奏が職業として認められた。
English: Pieces composed in this era were called 'Meiji shinkyoku pieces' (literally, new songs of Meiji), but they were not so much affected by western music as Ming and Xing era Chinese music.
Japanese: この頃作曲された作品を「明治新曲」と呼ぶが、洋楽の影響はまだ少なく、また当時流行していた明清楽の影響も見られる。
English: However, many pieces were composed around that time thanks to the situation where the society was filled with revolutionary philosophy in the wake of the Meiji Restoration and many people other than the blind entered the world of Soh music.
Japanese: ただし国民思潮全般が維新による革新的思想であふれていた時代であり、また盲人以外にも広く箏曲が解放され多数の人間が箏曲界へ参入したこともあって、多くの曲がこの頃作られた。
English: In particular, many pieces were created in Osaka and these were collectively called 'Meiji shinkyoku pieces.'
Japanese: 特に大阪において非常に盛んであり、これらを「明治新曲」と総称している。
English: However, it is regarded that few of such pieces reached the level that satisfies current players.
Japanese: しかしこの頃のレパートリーは現在の奏者にとって満足できるレベルで作曲された楽曲は少ないとされる。
English: Thanks to the unique social atmosphere at the time, "Aki no kotonoha" composed by Tokumoichi NISHIYAMA, "Kaede no hana" composed by Shunei MATSUZAKA, "Saga no aki" composed by Kikusue Kengyo and "Meiji shochikubai" composed by Yoichi KIKUZUKA etc. are often played even now as the excellent pieces.
Japanese: ただこの時期独特の清新な雰囲気もあり、西山徳茂都（とくもいち）の『秋の言の葉』、松坂春栄の『楓の花』、菊末検校の『嵯峨の秋』、菊塚与一の『明治松竹梅』などは現在でも名曲として良く演奏される。
English: Also, there are quite a few excellent pieces of music, such as "Shiragiku" composed by Hanano TERASHIMA, which tend to be forgotten at present.
Japanese: また寺島花野の作品『白菊』など、現在では忘れられかけている佳曲も少なくない。
English: When talking about Soh music during the Taisho and early Showa era, Michio MIYAGI is on the top of the list.
Japanese: 大正時代および昭和初期の箏曲には、宮城道雄の名がまずもって挙げられる。
English: He was a pivotal figure of new Japanese music in which the elements of western music was introduced, and he strived to activate not only Soh, but also whole of traditional Japanese music.
Japanese: 西洋音楽の要素を導入した新日本音楽の中心的存在に立ち、箏のみならず邦楽全般の活性化につとめた。
English: In his representative piece 'Haru no umi,' he used harmonic accompaniment, which was rarely used in heterophony ensemble of traditional Japanese music, in the ensemble with shakuhachi (to be exact, an instrument which is shorter than shakuhachi called isshaku-rokusun).
Japanese: 特に代表作「春の海」は、尺八（正確には一尺六寸という、尺八より小さい同属楽器）との合奏において、それまでのヘテロフォニーな邦楽の合奏には見られなかった和声的伴奏を駆使した。
English: He also used Soh, instead of shakuhachi, for playing the melody in order to make the most of the instruments property, and this piece is regarded today as an excellent piece of music that represents the musical instrument Soh.
Japanese: さらに尺八と交代して主旋律も奏でるといった、邦楽の語法として新しく楽器の性能も十分に駆使した書法により、現在でも箏という楽器を代表する名曲の位置を占める。
English: He played this piece together with French violinist Renee Chemet at various places and introduced not only this piece of music, but also his name Michio MIYAGI as well as musical instrument Soh around the world.
Japanese: 特にヴァイオリンとの演奏はフランスの女性ヴァイオリニスト、ルネ・シュメーにより広く演奏され、作品はもちろん宮城道雄の名と箏という楽器を世界的に紹介した。
English: Other than the improvement of instrument and the creation of the pieces of music, he also strived for reviving classical pieces and educational activities.
Japanese: また楽器改良や作品の開拓だけでなく、古典作品の復刻や教育活動にも力を注いだ。
English: Further, he also strived to spread musical scores (music in five-line staff notation and genmeifu - a kind of taburachua music) since Soh music had been handed down orally.
Japanese: また、それまで主に口承に拠る稽古が主な伝承であったのに対し、楽譜（五線譜、および弦名譜＝タブラチュア譜の一種）の普及にもつとめた。
English: This school became the mainstream of sankyokukai and many Soh musicians, including Futaba NAKAMURA, Genchi HISAMOTO of Yamada school and Kinichi NAKANOSHIMA, composed many pieces affected by Miyagi.
Japanese: この流れは宮城に留まらず三曲界全体の主潮流となり、中村双葉や山田流系の久本玄智、中能島欣一をはじめ、多くの箏曲家が宮城の影響を受けた作品を多数残した。
English: Also, many pieces of music in which varieties of traditional Japanese instruments are played in concert were created by other persons than Soh musicians, such as Kasho MACHIDA and Takayama TAKAMORI etc.
Japanese: また箏曲家以外でも町田佳聲や高森高山らによって、多くの和楽器を合奏させる作品が多数作られた。
English: Today, Soh is played not only by people belonging to traditional schools (including those who are learning) but also in collaboration with classical musicians.
Japanese: 現代の箏は伝統的な流派の伝承（草の根の稽古も含む）はもちろん、クラシック音楽との交流も行われている。
English: Under 'the boom of traditional Japanese instruments' that started from 1964 among the composers of contemporary western music, varieties of traditional Japanese instruments including Soh were introduced in contemporary western music.
Japanese: 具体的には1964年ごろより洋楽系の現代音楽の作曲家の間での「邦楽器ブーム」により、洋楽系現代音楽の中に箏を含む邦楽器が広く用いられるようになった。
English: In these pieces, traditional Japanese instruments were used in a way to make the most of their characteristics and playing style.
Japanese: これらの多くは邦楽本来の楽器および演奏法の特色の長所をなるべく活かす形で使われている。
English: In this sense, it is completely different from 'using Soh in substitute for piano and/or harp,' which was a common way of using traditional Japanese instruments in western music before the boom started.
Japanese: その点、このブーム以前の洋楽における邦楽器の使われ方として多かった「別に箏でなくてもピアノやハープでも代用できる洋楽流の書法」とは一線を画する。
English: Activities of Hogaku Yonin no kai (the four players group), which was organized in 1957, and Nihon Ongaku shudan (the group of Japanese musicians), which started activities in 1964 prior to the boom of Japanese traditional instruments, were also significant as the activities of Japanese traditional music conducted by the western contemporary musicians.
Japanese: それに先立って1957年に結成された邦楽四人の会、邦楽器ブーム初期の1964年より活動を続けている日本音楽集団の活動も、洋楽系現代音楽における重要な邦楽活動として挙げられる。
English: Provided, however, that while Soh music, which is easy to compose by the way of harmony, was mainly introduced into Western music in the case of new Japanese music in the era of Taisho and early Showa, shakuhachi music, which is easy to compose by the way of noise, was mainly introduced, instead of Soh, into the contemporary Western music of 1960s.
Japanese: ただし大正・昭和初期の新日本音楽における邦楽界の洋楽受容が、和声的な書法で作曲しやすい箏を中心としたのに対し、1960年代の洋楽系現代音楽界の邦楽受容においては箏は必ずしも主役ではなく、むしろノイズ的書法で作曲しやすい尺八が中心となった。
English: Joji YUASA: 'Projection for (eight) Soh and orchestra, flower, bird, wind and moon' (1967)
Japanese: 湯浅譲二「（八面の）箏とオーケストラのためのプロジェクション・花鳥風月」(1967)
English: Minoru MIKI: 'Eurasian Trilogy ha-no kyoku,' 'Shunkinsho Jokyoku to Shunoden,' 'ka Pine Concerto,' 'Soh Concerto No.5' (these are concerto with Western music orchestra), 'Concerto Requiem' (concerto with traditional Japanese music orchestra)
Japanese: 三木稔「鳳凰三連・破の曲」「春琴抄・序曲と春鶯囀（しゅんおうでん）」「松の協奏曲」「箏協奏曲第五番」（以上は洋楽オーケストラとの協奏曲）「コンチェルト・レクイエム」（邦楽オーケストラとの協奏曲）
English: Akira IFUKUBE: 'SYMPHONIC EGLOGUE for 20-Stringed Soh and orchestra' (1982)
Japanese: 伊福部昭「二十絃箏とオーケストラのための交響的エグログ」(1982)
English: Sohphia Gubaidulina: 'In the shadow of the tree, for one player, three Soh and orchestra' (1999)
Japanese: ソフィア・グバイドゥーリナIntheshadowofthetree一人の奏者の三面の箏とオーケストラのための(1999)
English: Kanichi SHINOFUSA: 'Sonata for Soh Solo' (1938), the first Soh composed by Western music composer
Japanese: 下総皖一「箏独奏のためのソナタ」（1938）洋楽系作曲家初の箏独奏曲
English: In the case of the Ikuta school, players use kakuzume (square-shaped pick) and position themselves at an angle of about forty-five degrees left oblique against the instrument in order to use kakuzume effectively.
Japanese: 生田流は角爪を用い、この角を有効に使うため楽器に対し左斜め約45度に構える。
English: No particular differences exists in their repertoire since both schools mutually use their repertoire.
Japanese: レパートリーについては、双方の流派が双方のレパートリーを広く扱うため、あまり差異は無い。
English: Relatively, the Ikuta school deals with 'utamono' (a music genre) and the Ikuta school excelled in the technique of Solo.
Japanese: 相対的な比較としては山田流が生田流よりも「歌もの」を多く扱い、生田流は独奏曲において技巧が発達している。
English: There are traces of gaku-Soh (Soh used in gagaku) in the shape of instrument (length, bulge of instrument, sound hole, detailing) used by the Ikuta school.
Japanese: 楽器の形状（長さ、楽器の膨らみ、音穴、細部の装飾など）は生田流の箏は楽箏（雅楽の箏）の形をかなり残している。
English: As the instrument used by Yamada school, improved for playing zoku-Soh, it creates a bigger volume and a better tone, current products are all but the ones of Yamada school style.
Japanese: 俗箏として改良を加えられた山田流式の方が音量が大きく豊かな音色である為、現在製作されている箏は一部を除いてほとんどが山田流式の箏である。
English: However, as the unique Ryukyu Sohkyoku (Okinawa Soh music) which originated from the Yatsuhashi school has been handed down in Okinawa as well as in other regions where Okinawa culture remains, Soh of the Ikuta school style is being used in these regions even today.
Japanese: ただ沖縄諸島、または沖縄の文化を伝えている地域では、八橋流の流れをくむ独自の琉球箏曲が発展・継承されていて、そちらは現在でも生田流式の箏を使っている。
English: When tuning Soh, attention should be paid to the fact that the name of a tune is different between the two schools.
Japanese: 調子（調弦）において、一部の調子の名が双方の流派で異なるため注意を要する。
English: (Example: Nagazora-choshi scale of Ikuta school = Akebono-choshi scale of Yamada school, Akebono-choshi scale of Ikuta school = Double Nagazora -choshi scale of Yamada school)
Japanese: （例：生田流の中空調子＝山田流の曙調子、生田流の曙調子＝山田流の二重中空調子、など）
English: Though the number of players is quite small, there exist Yatsuhashi school, which is keeping up the playing style of the time of Yatsuhashi Kengyo, and Tsukushi school, which is keeping up the playing style of Tsukushi-Soh.
Japanese: その他ごく少数ではあるが、八橋検校の当時の演奏様式を伝える八橋流、筑紫箏の様式を伝える筑紫流がある。
English: Soh is a musical instrument that is composed of a hollow body, an arch-shaped long and thin board, and 13 strings stretched over the body.
Japanese: 箏は、前後にアーチのかかった横に細長い板状で内部が中空の胴に、13本の絃を張り渡した楽器である。
English: Players adjust music intervals by the use of ji (bridge) and play it by plucking strings with picks (giko - tools put on the fingertip to pluck the strings) put on the fingertips of the right hand.
Japanese: 柱（じ）を用いて音程を調節し、奏者の右手に嵌めた爪（義甲）によって絃をはじいて音を出し演奏する。
English: It has a length is about 190cm in the case of high-quality product called hongen, used by the Ikuta school, and about 182cm in the case of products used by the Yamada school.
Japanese: 長さは生田流の本間（ほんげん）と呼ばれる高級なものが6尺3寸（約190cm）、山田流が約6尺（約182cm）である。
English: There used to be various products where the length was slightly different from the above, but Soh of the Yamada school type is dominant today except for the products used for school education purpose.
Japanese: その他これに前後する長さのものが多数あったが、現在では学校教育用の箏を除けば大部分が山田流の箏である。
English: Some fragments of Soh are being preserved at Shoso-in, but it was produced by a different method from the current products.
Japanese: 正倉院にも箏の残欠が保存されているが、現在のものと造りが異なっている。
English: In the case of the current Soh, the top side and both sides of the Soh is produced by hollowing a piece of board and a separate piece of board is attached only to the underside.
Japanese: 現代の箏は上面と両側面は一つの材をくり抜いて作り、下面だけ別材を張り合わせる構造である。
English: What was later improved by Yamada Kengyo is today's mainstream product 'Yamada Soh.'
Japanese: その後山田検校により改良されたのが、基本的に現在の主流を成す「山田箏」である。
English: There are two types of products called 'beta' and 'kuriko' depending upon the method of production, and the latter is a high-grade product.
Japanese: 製法により「ベタ」と「刳甲（くりこう）」とがあり、後者が高級品である。
English: Although many products were decorated with makie (Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold or silver powder) or mokuga (wood painting) in the past in order to show the status of wealthy people, simple products which emphasized tone quality rather than decorations gradually increased since the era of Yamada Kengyo.
Japanese: かつては富裕層のステイタスとして蒔絵や木画などで美しく装飾されるものが多かったが、やはり山田検校以来、装飾は最低限に抑え、音色を重視するシンプルなものが次第に多くなった。
English: The name of each part of the instrument, such as 'ryukaku' (dragon horns), 'ryugan' (dragon eyes) and 'ryushu' (dragon hands), derived from the belief that Soh was the symbol of ryu (dragon).
Japanese: 楽器の各部分には、「龍角」「劉眼」「龍手」など、箏を竜に見立てた名称がつけられている。
English: While the number of ito for standard type Soh has been 13 since the Nara period, Soh with more strings was once produced during the Edo period.
Japanese: 通常の箏は十三本の糸を有し、奈良時代より変わらないが、江戸時代には更に多絃の箏が作られたこともある。
English: Each 13 ito has a name; namely, starting from the opposite side of player, ito is counted 'ichi' (first), 'ni' (second), 'san' (third), 'shi' (fourth) and from the 10th ito, it is called 'to', 'i' and 'kin'.
Japanese: 十三本の糸には名称があり、演奏する側の反対側から一、二、三、四と数え、十以降の糸は斗（と）、為（い）、巾（きん）と呼ぶ。
English: Yellow-colored ito was common previously with few exceptions of blue or red ones, but plain white ones are popular at present.
Japanese: 以前は黄色く染色したものが普通で、稀に青や赤に染めることもあったが、現在では生成りの白が好まれている。
English: As with ito of other traditional Japanese musical instruments, ito is produced by twisting four threads and pasting them together.
Japanese: 糸の構造は他の多くの和楽器糸と同じく、単糸を更に四本撚り合わせ、糊で固めたもの。
English: Its material was originally silk, but polyester is mainly used for zoku-Soh (modern Soh) at present.
Japanese: 材質は本来は絹製であるが、俗箏では現在はポリエステル製が主流になっている。
English: The reason for the above is that thanks to Tetron's strong tension, players can create good tone quality with long-lasting resonance by stretching it tightly.
Japanese: テトロンは張力が強く、強く張ると余韻が長く、いい音色がでるからである。
English: Other reasons are that players are not required to worry about an incident where ito is broken while playing, and that its price is less expensive compared with the silk product.
Japanese: また、演奏中に切れる心配が無いこと、絹製に比較するとかなり安価であることも普及している要因である。
English: However, there exists players who favor the unique sound of silk thread, and its tone quality of surizume (rubbing strings by picks) is far better than polyester.
Japanese: しかし、絹糸の独特の響きを気に入っている奏者も多く、特に擦り爪におけるシュッという音色ははるかに絹の方が良い。
English: Tsume (giko) should be placed on the pads of three fingers, thumb, forefinger and middle finger, of the right hand (be careful that it's not on the fingernails).
Japanese: 爪（義甲）は右手の親指、人差し指、中指の3本の指の腹側に嵌める（人間の手の爪の側ではないことに注意）。
English: Although the price of ivory has soared recently because of unavailability caused by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Washington Convention), substitute plastic is being used only for the products for school educational purpose.
Japanese: 最近は絶滅のおそれのある野生動植物の種の国際取引に関する条約（ワシントン条約）により象牙の入手が困難のため高騰してはいるが、代用樹脂は学校教育用などに限られている。
English: 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.
Japanese: 柱（じ）は他の弦楽器でいう駒、ブリッジで、糸を支え音高を定め、振動を胴に伝える部品である。
English: Although small and short ones are used for gaku-Soh, bigger ones are commonly used for current Soh which requires a large volume.
Japanese: 楽箏のものは小さく低いが、大音量を求める近代のものは大型になっている。
English: Various kinds of ji, such as one to which a supplementary small prop is attached, one where foot propping the string of the highest note is modified or one which is designed to prevent it from falling, are in use.
Japanese: 補助的に小型の柱や、最高音弦用の脚部に変化を加えた柱、その他倒れにくくしたりするために工夫が施された特殊な柱なども種々使用される。
English: However, plastic products are widely used at present since ivory is very expensive.
Japanese: しかし大変に高価であるので、現在は合成樹脂製のものが広く用いられている。
English: Among others, jushichigen-Soh (17-stringed Soh) developed by Michio MIYAGI is the most famous one and it has already become common.
Japanese: 宮城道雄の開発した十七絃箏がもっとも有名であり、既に一般化している。
English: Other instruments developed by Michio MIYAGI are tangoto (short stringed instrument), which was developed for education and promotion purpose, and super-large hachijugen (80-stringed instrument), which was produced on a trial basis.
Japanese: 宮城道雄が開発した楽器はほかにも教育用普及楽器の短箏（たんごと）、試験的に作られた超大型楽器八十絃がある。
English: Other than the above, various types of Soh were invented recently such as nijugen-Soh (20-stringed Soh, actually it was 21-stringed), which was jointly developed by composer Minoru MIKI and Soh musician Keiko NOSAKA in 1969, nijugogen-Soh (25-stringed Soh), sanjugen-Soh (30-stringed Soh) and sanjunigen-Soh (32-stringed Soh).
Japanese: このほか、現代において作られた箏として1969年に作曲家三木稔と箏曲家野坂恵子が共同開発した二十絃箏（実際は21本の絃がある）、それから二十五絃箏、三十絃、三十二絃箏などがある。
English: Contemporary composers (those of 'modern Japanese traditional music' whose origin are Japanese traditional music as well as those of 'modern music' whose origin are western music) are trying to create new musical pieces using such newly developed instruments.
Japanese: それぞれ現代の（邦楽系の「現代邦楽」および洋楽系の「現代音楽」双方の分野の）作曲家によって新しい音楽作品を作る試みが行われている。
English: Incidentally, taishogoto (Japanese harp with three to five strings) is a fundamentally different instrument from Soh because it is categorized into kin group based on the law of making sound.
Japanese: ちなみに大正琴は発音原理が琴（きん）に属する楽器のため、ここで扱う箏とは基本的分類において異なる。
English: In China, there exist many kinds of stringed instrument that belong to zither group depending upon the ages, regions, or styles.
Japanese: 中国の撥弦楽器のうちツィター属のものだけでも時代、地方、様式により多くの種類がある。
English: In the Korean peninsula, there exists a 12-stringed instrument called "kayagumu," and people play it with their fingertips while placing the front part on their knee.
Japanese: 朝鮮には伽耶琴（カヤグム）と呼ばれる12弦の箏があり、前部を膝に乗せ指頭で弾奏する。
English: There also exists six-stringed instrument with fixed fret called komungo, and people play it using a stick (spoon).
Japanese: また、6本の弦と固定フレットを持ち棒（匙）で弾奏する玄琴（コムンゴ）がある。
English: As seen from the fact that Soh is categorized into the zither group, zither is a similar musical instrument in Europe.
Japanese: 箏は楽器分類上ツィター属に含まれることもあり、ヨーロッパでの類似楽器としてはツィターが挙げられる。
English: Zither is not a commonly-used musical instrument in Europe, but a folk instrument of the Alpine region (especially Austria).
Japanese: ツィターはヨーロッパの楽器としては一般的なほうではなく、アルプス地方の民俗楽器（特にオーストリア）として扱われている。
English: "Sankyoku gasso" means the ensemble made up of "sankyoku" (instrumental trio); originally, the trio was "shamisen" (also called "sangen," the three-string Japanese banjo) for accompanying "Jiuta" (songs of the country), "koto" (the long Japanese zither with thirteen strings) and "kokyu" (the Chinese fiddle), but it also means the ensemble music itself.
Japanese: 三曲合奏とは、三曲の楽器である地歌三味線（三弦）、箏、胡弓の三種の楽器による合奏編成、及びそれにより演奏される音楽をいう。
English: This sankyoku must have been the name used in contrast with ￥'heikyoku' (the music of "heike biwa" (the Japanese lute for playing the Tale of Heike)), in which the musicians of Todo-za (the traditional guild for the blind) originally engaged as a profession.
Japanese: これはおそらく当道座の音楽家たちの本来の専門音楽である「平曲」（平家琵琶の音楽）に対しての名称である。
English: In other words, they must have begun using the name sankyoku to distinguish heikyoku from their new, professionally engaged three instruments (shamisen (mainly for Jiuta), koto and kokyu) and their tunes (Jiuta, Sokyoku (koto music) and Kokyu-gaku (kokyu music)).
Japanese: つまり、同じく彼らが専門とする新しい三種の楽器（三味線（主として地歌の三味線）、箏、胡弓）」とその音楽である地歌、箏曲、胡弓楽を区別するために使われ始めたのではないかと思われる。
English: However, the usage of the name wasn't strict, and the ensemble of koto, kokyu and shakuhachi was also called 'sankyoku' in a record from the late 18th century.
Japanese: しかし厳密なものではなく、18世紀後半には箏、胡弓に尺八が加わった合奏を「三曲」と呼んだ記録もある。
English: In fact, shakuhachi participated in the ensemble from the end of the Edo period, so sankyoku today can be thought of as the general term for Jiuta, Sokyoku, Kokyu-gaku and Shakuhachi-gaku (shakuhachi music), which becomes the name of an inseparable genre in Japanese music.
Japanese: 実際、江戸時代末期からそこに尺八が参入したので、現在三曲と呼ぶ場合は地歌・箏曲・胡弓楽・尺八楽を総合する名称と言え、邦楽分類上不可分な一ジャンルの呼称となっている。
English: What we call sankyoku gassou today is the ensemble made up of the three kinds of instruments out of the above-mentioned four, but it isn't clear which concept came first, 'sankyoku gasso' or 'sankyoku.'
Japanese: これらの四種の音楽のうちで、三種の楽器編成で合奏されるのが現在言われる「三曲合奏」であるが、それと「三曲」の概念との前後関係は不明である。
English: At least, it can be said that the meaning of 'sankyoku gasso' is not 'tunes' played with 'three' kinds of instruments but the ensemble with three kinds of instruments.
Japanese: 言えることは「三曲合奏」とは三種の楽器を合奏させる意味であって、「三」種の楽器を合わせて奏する「曲」という意味ではないということである。
English: If there is a Japanese music club at a college, in most cases the club activities are the performances of the sankyoku instruments; there are two types of clubs, and one is mainly about the traditional tunes while another is about the contemporary ones.
Japanese: 大学のサークルで、邦楽部が存在する場合にはこの三曲を構成する楽器を行っている場合が殆どである（ただし、主に伝統的な曲を行っているサークルと、主に現代的な曲を行っているサークルとがある)。
English: Of all the tunes of 'sankyoku,' those performed in the style of sankyoku gasso are mostly the music of Jiuta (except for Kumiuta (assembled songs) accompanied by the shamisen).
Japanese: 三曲合奏が行なわれる曲は「三曲」の中でも地歌曲（三味線組歌を除く）が多い。
English: Additionally, the koto music (e.g. Danmono (leveled pieces), Yamada school's Utamono (accompanied singing in which the singing is emphasized over the instrumental part), and Yamada school's Danmono) and, in rare cases, kokyu honkyoku (kokyu pieces composed in the early days), such as 'Okayasu-ginuta' (a piece for koto composed by Kosaburo OKAYASU but originally a kokyu piece), are also performed in sankyoku gasso.
Japanese: 他に箏曲（段もの、及び山田流箏曲の歌もの、段もの）、まれに胡弓本曲（「岡康砧」など）も三曲合奏される。
English: Of course, sankyoku gasso is performed within 'sankyoku;' therefore, when shamisen is performed for the music other than Jiuta, the music is rarely performed in sankyoku gasso.
Japanese: 当然「三曲」の範囲内で行なわれるので、地歌以外の三味線音楽では、三曲合奏はまずほとんど行なわない。