kokyū; Japanese bowed lute
A traditional Japanese bowed string instrument with three or four strings, distinct from the shamisen or koto.
The kokyū resembles the shamisen but is played with a bow.
Asian bowed string instrument
Broadly refers to any Asian string instrument played with a bow, such as the Chinese erhu or the Mongolian morin khuur. In modern Japanese, 胡弓 usually refers specifically to the Japanese instrument (sense 1).
彼女は胡弓の演奏を習っている。
She is learning to play the kokyū.
The word kokyū once referred to various Asian bowed string instruments.
Standard kanji spelling for the Japanese kokyū instrument.
Alternate kanji spelling, less common than 胡弓.
Kana spelling used when the kanji is not needed or for clarity.
The name combines 胡, traditionally marking foreign or continental association, and 弓 “bow.” The instrument’s precise historical origins remain uncertain.