tonkori

musical instrument

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The tonkori is a traditional musical instrument of the Ainu people, indigenous to Japan and Russia. It is a type of zither with two to five strings and is held and played like a banjo, with both hands. Unlike other zithers, the tonkori is played open-stringed.1

While the tonkori is distinct, it's worth noting that Japan's national instrument is the koto, a 13-stringed zither. Early evidence of stringed instruments in Japan includes a four- or five-stringed zither found in tomb figurines from the Tumulus period (c. 250–c. 500 CE), which may be related to the Korean kayagum.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Japanese music
Early evidence
…a flute—as well as a tonkori zither with two to five strings. It is unlike the zither on the lap of the earlier tomb figure in both its shape and playing position, being held like a banjo and played open-stringed with both hands. The surviving shamanism of the Ainu has…
Read More
…a flute—as well as a tonkori zither with two to five strings. It is unlike the zither on the lap of the earlier tomb figure in both its shape and playing position, being held like a banjo and played open-stringed with both hands. The surviving shamanism of the Ainu has…
Read More