SUIKINKUTSU : A Japanese Underground Water Zither

Release date: August 1, 2006

Suikinkutsu, literally "water-zither-cave," is a unique instrument associated with washing for the Japanese tea ceremony. Water drips from a chozubachi stone basin into a partly-filled underground ceramic bowl. The dripping sound, resembling a koto zither, is then projected up through bamboo tubes into a garden, where water may symbolize spirit, purification, solace, and reflection.