Japanese Harp (Koto) Class in Kyoto

Same-day bookings are available

お箏 / koto

Introduction

Back to nearly 1300 years ago, Nara-era, Chinese Koto and Japanese Koto which seemed to be made in Yayoi-era were combined and gradually refined by people who loved music.
As time goes on, more and more people had got attracted by Koto because of the “Shirabe” which healed and silently encouraged people’s hearts. Nowadays, we’re going through busy days surrounded by so many objects. Listening to the sound of Koto makes our bodies and hearts remind of old memories.
There are two styles of playing the koto. One is the Ikuta style, which uses square-edged picks, and the other style is the Yamada style, which uses round-edged picks. Taking classes in koto playing will be especially interesting for people who have experience in playing string instruments, but beginners will also most surely enjoy taking lessons at a koto schools in Japan. We highly recommend trying it!

tripadvisor Reviews

tripadvisor

Koto lesson was excellent

My sister and I had a wonderful time playing the Koto for the first time, and learning a little of Japanese culture. It was our first time to Japan, and this experience helped tune out ears to the music of Japan. The people at the Sakura center are very kind, and even walked us to the subway after the lesson as we were still finding our way around.
Highly recommended
Date of experience: April 2019

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tripadvisor

An authentic Japanese experience

We loved the koto (traditional Japanese music) class. Koto instructor was great and so were Aya and her husband who taught us how to make Sushi. Sushi class was also fantastic, it was wonderful to learn how to make Sushi. Aya also takes care of photos for the session so you can concentrate on the learning experience.
Date of experience: March 2019

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Duration

About 60 min.

Tour Itinerary

Per your booking

What's Included

including shodo material

Booking process

1. Please contact us for availability through ‘BOOK IT’ button below.
2. We will check the availability and come back to you within 1 business day.
3. Payment request will be sent.
4. Reservation is done upon receiving your payment. Confirmation e-mail will be sent to you.

Payment

Please make your payment in advance for each classes.
Your booking will be completed after your payment has confirmed.
Major credit cards or PayPal are accepted. Currently these are the only payment methods.

Cancellation Policy

In case of cancellation, cancellation fees will be charged as below;
30%........... 4 - 7 days prior to the class
50%........... 2 - 3 days prior to the class
80%........... the day prior to the class
100%......... the class day
We offer hands-on experience classes. You must be careful and responsible for your own safety. We will not be held liable for accidents.

Condition

For the cooking classes, please inform us in advance of any dietary restrictions and allergies, or any situation requiring special care.