Which instruments traditionally perform sankyoku chamber music?

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woodcut: samisen player — Japanese music Courtesan playing a samisen, Japanese woodcut print.

The sankyoku ensemble, a traditional form of Japanese chamber music, is composed of three primary instruments:

Koto: A 13-stringed zither that typically carries the principal melody.12
Samisen: A three-stringed plucked lute (referred to as the sangen in jiuta music).12
Shakuhachi: An end-blown bamboo flute.12

In this ensemble, the koto player often provides vocals as well. While the shakuhachi became a standard component by the early 20th century, the three-stringed bowed lute known as the kokyū was traditionally used in its place in earlier times. A traditional Japanese description of the ensemble’s texture likens the koto to the bone, the samisen to the flesh, and the shakuhachi to the skin.231