Edo-period mouth harp
A historical Japanese mouth harp with a hairpin-like frame and a long straight tongue, used during the Edo period.
I saw an Edo-period mouth harp at the museum.
The biyabon is an instrument with a small frame and a long, thin tongue.
Modern generic term for mouth harp or Jew's harp, not specific to the Edo-period instrument.
Standard kanji spelling for this instrument.
Alternate kanji spelling; less common.
The origin of the word びやぼん is uncertain; it may be a phonetic rendering or a loanword adaptation. The kanji 口琴 literally mean 'mouth harp'.