wagon; yamatogoto; six-stringed native Japanese zither
A traditional Japanese six-stringed zither, also known as 和琴 (わごん). Used in gagaku and Shinto music.
See also: 和琴
The wagon is one of the instruments used in gagaku.
東琴 is the full name of the ancient six-stringed zither, of which 東（あずま） is a shortened form.
Standard kanji spelling for this traditional instrument.
Alternate kanji spelling using 吾妻 for あずま; less common.
From 東 (あずま, an old word for eastern Japan) + 琴 (こと, zither). The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely refers to an ancient zither style from the eastern regions.