These tattooed badasses are not, in fact, extras from that bafflingly misguided "47 Ronin" movie. They’re the members of the newly-signed Wagakki Band, which combines the chunky guitar chords and ...

This flat rectangular brass instrument has four sets of lines on it, two sets on each side. Each set consists of four nested L-shaped lines and six shorter lines that run across them. Some of the ...

This article is part of a two-part series. To learn about a biwa master and her music lessons, see here. Traditional Japanese instruments, also known as wagakki, are an intrinsic part of Japan’s rich ...

Her fingers dance upon the strings, and like a river or wind, the sounds of the koto carry June Okida Kuramoto. The ancient Japanese instrument drew her in with its angelic voice when she was a little ...

NAGAHAMA, Shiga -- Production of silk strings for traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen and koto is at its seasonal peak in this western Japan town. At the workshop of Marusan ...

These tattooed badasses are not, in fact, extras from that bafflingly misguided "47 Ronin" movie. They’re the members of the newly-signed Wagakki Band, which combines the chunky guitar chords and ...