kumiuta

Japanese songs

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June 30, 2026

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Kumiuta are sets of Japanese songs that were accompanied by the koto, a 13-stringed zither, and sometimes by the three-stringed plucked samisen. These songs were a significant part of chamber music that developed during the Muromachi period (1338–1573) and continued into the Tokugawa period (1603–1867).1

The tradition of kumiuta is said to have originated from variants of imayō court songs. Over time, different schools of koto music emerged, such as the Yatsuhashi, Ikuta, and Yamada schools, each contributing to the repertoire and evolving the musical styles. Modern koto music, particularly from the Ikuta and Yamada schools, remains popular in Japan today. The music is known generally as sōkyoku, with chamber music specifically termed sankyoku, meaning music for three, typically featuring koto, samisen, and shakuhachi flute.1

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Japanese music
Schools and genres
The sets were called kumiuta, a term applied to much of the chamber music that followed. The 16th-century priest Kenjun is credited with the creation of the school and its first compositions. The tradition became more secular when it appeared in Edo. There a 17th-century blind musician named Jōhide,…
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The sets were called kumiuta, a term applied to much of the chamber music that followed. The 16th-century priest Kenjun is credited with the creation of the school and its first compositions. The tradition became more secular when it appeared in Edo. There a 17th-century blind musician named Jōhide,…
Read More