SHAKUHACHI

The most famous flute is the shakuhachi bamboo flute. It has 4 or 5 finger holes on the front face and a thumb hole on the rear face. As with other instruments above, it was imported from China.In medieval times, the shakuhachi became associated with wandering Buddhist priests known as komuso or 'priests of nothingness'. They played the shakuhachi as a spritual discipline and during the Edo Period they had the exclusive license to play the instrument. During the more progressive Meiji Period (1868~1912) various other schools started, some influenced by western music. The shakuhachi, is a Japanese end-blownflute. Its name means "1.8 feet", referring to its size. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in wood and plastic. It was used by the monks of the 'Fuke school of Zen buddhism'. Often Buddhism in the practice of suizen, blowing meditation. Its soulful sound made it popular in Western 1980s pop music.

KOTO

The koto  is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from the Chinese guzheng. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about 180 centimetres long, and made from kiri wood. They have 13 strings that are strung over 13 movable bridges along the length of the instrument. Players can adjust the string pitches by moving these bridges before playing, and use three finger picks (on thumb, index finger, and middle finger) to pluck the strings.

One of the characters for koto is also read as in certain contexts. Though often called by a number of other names, these terms almost always refer to similar, but different instruments, such as the Chinese guzheng.

TAIKO

Taiko, in general, are stick percussion instruments, with the exception of the bachi. They have heads on both sides of the drum body, and a sealed resonating cavity. Taiko are also characterized by a high amount of tension on the drums heads, with a correspondingly high pitch relative to body size. This high tension likely developed in response to Japan's wet and humid summers when most festivals take place. Many taiko are not tunable, and a drum with high head tension would counteract the slacking effects of humidity.

HOTCHIKU

Hotchiku is a Japanese end-blown flute, crafted from root sections of bamboo. After cleaning and sanding, the heavy root end of the bamboo stalk reveals many small circular knots where the roots formerly joined the stalk. The same part of the bamboo plant is also used to produce the shakuhachi but, unlike the shakuhachi, the hotchiku's inside (bore) and outside surfaces are left unlaquered and its mouthpiece is not inlaid. The membranes at the nodes inside a hotchiku bore are generally left more intact than those of a shakuhachi.Hotchiku have four holes down the front for fingers and one hole on the back for the thumb of the upper hand. The instrument is capable of a range of at least two octaves, and more if well crafted in the hands of an experienced player. Hotchiku can be fashioned to any length. Hotchiku are typically,though not always,longer than shakuhachi. 

BIWA

The biwa derives from a Chinese lute which itself derives from a Persian/Middle Eastern lute called barbat The biwa reached Japan from China during the Nara Period (710-759 AD), and five instruments from that time are kept in the Shōsōin, the national treasure house of Japan. One of them, a rare, five-stringed gogenbiwa, decorated with Central Asian themes, including a camel. This instrument is literally one of its kinds in Asia, being the only one preserved from the period, although similar instruments are manufactured in small numbers today. Wandering Biwa players, similar to minstrels, were known as Biwa hōshi.

The playing of the Biwa nearly became extinct during the Meiji period as Western music and instruments became popular.