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The shamisen or samisen (三味線, literally three strings), also called sangen (三絃), is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi.<br/><br/> The yokin in a kind of prototype koto (箏), a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese zheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan.<br/><br/> The kokin (古琴) is a Chinese seven-stringed zither called a guqin in Chinese.<br/><br/> Sankyoku is a form of Japanese chamber music played on the koto, shamisen, and shakuhachi, often with a vocal accompaniment.