80-STRING KOTO: Japanese musical instrument

The 80-string koto was an invention of Michio Miyagi, a composer from Japan. This version of the musical instrument appeared in the year 1923. 

Miyagi added 67 strings to the normal 13 string version of the koto, creating a musical instrument much like the western harp. The 80 strings of the instrument give a far larger pitch range than the normal version of the musical instrument. The instrument is commonly seen as a short-lived experimental musical instrument.

The 80-string version of the musical instrument was largely hand-made as only limited machinery existed to produce it. The musical instrument was constructed along analogous lines to the normal koto, though with reinforced design elements. The platform where the strings of the instrument are knotted runs the entire length and width of the musical instrument to accommodate the maximized strain.

As with other versions of the musical instrument, the kiri wood is molded and treated. Modern bridges are normally produced of plastic and they can be seen in both the larger sizes and the smaller sizes. The bridges of the instrument are rearranged as required during performance. Strings are normally manufactured from silk threads, even though plastic nylon strings are usually seen as a cheaper alternative. The bridges of the musical instrument are arranged according to the specific tuning that is used on the musical instrument.

This version of the koto is commonly used. There are few surviving samples of this version presently, as the musical instrument never gained the popularity of the 17-string version of the musical instrument, Miyagi’s more commonly accepted innovation.