also: そう
shō; Japanese mouth organ
A traditional Japanese free-reed wind instrument made of bamboo pipes, used in gagaku (court music).
In gagaku, the shō plays chords.
The tone of the shō is said to represent the voice of heaven.
shō (Japanese free reed mouth organ)
shō (Japanese mouth organ)
Standard kanji for the instrument; reading しょう is the most common.
Alternate reading, less common; may appear in historical or specialized contexts.
The instrument originated in China and was introduced to Japan as part of gagaku. The kanji 笙 is used for this type of mouth organ.