noun
biwa; Japanese lute
A traditional Japanese short-necked fretted lute, often used in narrative storytelling.
彼女は琵琶を弾きながら古い物語を語った。
She played the biwa while telling an old tale.
The word びわ is derived from the Chinese pipa (琵琶), a similar pear-shaped lute. The instrument was introduced to Japan from China around the 7th–8th centuries.