ABSTRACT
Sōkyoku-jiuta is a collection of different musical genres for koto and shamisen (sangen) transmitted by a specific group of musicians from the early edo period (1600– 1868) to the present day. The word is a compound: sōkyoku indicates those genres composed primarily for the koto; jiuta indicates those genres composed primarily for the shamisen. It is possible and common to perform most of sōkyoku–jiuta as an ensemble with both instruments; nevertheless, each composition is thought of as belonging to a specific genre that falls under one of the larger groups of sōkyoku or jiuta. For most of these genres, the second instrument can be viewed as an option in performance. Some genres, such as koto kumiuta or shamisen kumiuta, are never performed with other instruments. For other genres, particularly tegotomono (discussed below), the norm is both instruments. The koto and the shamisen are indeed inseparable, and one cannot be discussed without knowledge of the other.
