The qin (now usually called guqin) was brought to Japan over 1,000 years ago, as was the other important Chinese long zither, the zheng (or guzheng).³ Important qin music and documents have been preserved in Japan since the Tang dynasty. However, whereas the zheng became exceedingly popular in Japan (where it is called a koto), it is not clear whether the qin was actually played there prior to the arrival in Japan of Jiang Xingchou (Shin'etsu), in 1677.⁴

A program on this theme could thus focus on the following aspects of qin music in Japan.⁵

1. Qin music preserved in Japanese handbooks.
   These are mostly short qin songs. Some are copies or adaptations of melodies played in China, including a few longer melodies such as Gao Shan, Yu Qiao Wenda, and Shin'Etsu's own teacher's Li Yun Chun Si. Others seem to have been composed in Japan (Fusang). For various possibilities, see Japanese Guqin Handbooks.

2. Recent qin compositions with a Japan connection
   There is at least one modern composition for qin and Japanese instruments.

3. Chinese qin melodies known to have been played in Japan
   Van Gulik wrote that in the 17th century, when Shin'etsu went to Japan, he probably taught his advanced students from the Songxianguan Qinpu.⁶ It would seem likely that he also brought Qinxue Xinsheng,⁷ the handbook of his teacher in China. Melodies from these could also be worked into a program.

4. Chinese qin melodies preserved in Japanese libraries or museums
   The most famous example of this is You Lan.

It would be appropriate to share such a program with a Japanese instrument. For this the shakuhachi end blown flute would seem to be the most natural choice. In China the instrument today most commonly paired with the qin is the xiao end blown flute. And the shakuhachi, like the qin, is best known as an instrument of contemplation.

Japanese tradition suggests that their ichigenkin one-string qin has a connection with the guqin. In China there are some stories and illustrations regarding a one string qin, and one handbook published in 1618 actually has a few melodies. However, the modern repertoire of the ichigenkin is most closely related to that of the samisen, a three-stringed banjo-like instrument. (The current Wikipedia ichigenkin article says it has one silk string, but the ones I have seen have all had a metal string and an electronic pickup. The same thing has happened to the Vietamese dan bau monochord.)

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. The Guqin in Japan, main references
     R. H. Van Gulik, The Lore of the Chinese Lute
     Stephen Addiss, The Qin in Japan
     Mitchell Clark, The Art of the Qin in China and Japan
     (Return)

2. Image to be added (Return)

3. 琴 qin; 古琴 guqin; 箏 zheng; 古箏 guzheng (Return)

4. Although the 琴 qin has no frets, and the 箏 zheng has a movable fret or bridge under each string, both instrumentents are long zithers and thus somewhat similar in appearance. Due perhaps to this, plus the fact that references to qin are very common in early Chinese literature, whereas zheng references are rather rare, early Japanese writings commonly used the kanji (Chinese character) for qin/kin when a zheng/koto was the actual reference. In modern times the confusion was compounded because the list of 1900 characters approved in 1947 by the Japanese government for use in newspapers, magazines and official documents did not include 箏 zheng/koto, but only 琴 qin/kin (with "koto" given as one of its pronunciations). (Return)

5. Being able to use qin with a Japanese connection would make it particularly relevant. (Return)

6. Van Gulik, Lore, p.226 (Return)

7. Van Gulik, Lore, p.231. Qinxue Xinsheng (1664) has 14 melodies, 13 of them appearing here for the first time. The most famous of these is #14, Wuye Wu Qiufeng. One of them, #4 Lai Yun Chun Si, is also in a Japanese handbook. (Return)

 
Return to the Guqin ToC