Ichigenkin

The ichigenkin is a Japanese single-stringed plucked zither with a slender, slightly curved body carved from kiri wood. Its raw silk string is plucked with a tubular plectrum worn on the right index finger, while a tubular ivory device on the left middle finger depresses the string without pressing it against the soundboard to vary pitch; both implements are called rokan. The instrument has no frets, making sliding tones central to its technique. Traditionally used to accompany singing, it also has a purely instrumental repertoire. Once popular among samurai, literati, and priests, players are now very rare. The only unbroken transmission line is Seikyodo Ichigenkin, whose current Iemoto is Issui Minegishi.