Popular in Edo's pleasure districts, the shamisen was often used in Kabuki theater. Shamisen ( 三味線), a banjo-like lute with three strings brought to Japan from China in the 16th century.Sanshin ( 三線, literally 'three strings'), an Okinawan precursor of the mainland Japanese (and Amami Islands) shamisen.Taishogoto ( 大正琴), a zither with metal strings and keys.Kugo ( 箜篌), an angled harp used in ancient times and recently revived.Yamatogoto ( 大 和 琴), ancient long zither also called wagon ( 和 琴).Tsuri-daiko ( 釣 太鼓) - drum on a stand with ornately painted head, played with a padded stick.Shōko ( 鉦鼓) - small bronze gong used in gagaku struck with two horn beaters.Shime-daiko ( 締太鼓) - small drum played with sticks.Sekkin - a lithophone either bowed or struck.Sasara (ささら) - clapper made from wooden slats connected by a rope or cord.San-no-tsuzumi (三の鼓), hourglass-shaped double-headed drum struck only on one side.Mokugyo ( 木魚) - (also called Wooden fish) woodblock carved in the shape of a fish, struck with a wooden stick often used in Buddhist chanting.Shakubyoshi (also called shaku) - clapper made from a pair of flat wooden sticks.Kokiriko ( 筑子, こきりこ) - a pair of sticks which are beaten together slowly and rhythmically.Kakko ( 羯鼓) - small drum used in gagaku.
Kagura suzu - hand-held bell tree with three tiers of pellet bells.Ikko - small, ornately decorated hourglass-shaped drum.Den-den daiko (でんでん太鼓) - pellet drum, used as a children's toy.Hyōshigi ( 拍子木) - wooden or bamboo clappers.Bin-sasara (編木, 板ささら also spelled bin-zasara) - clapper made from wooden slats connected by a rope or cord.