Biwa

The biwa (Japanese琵琶) is a classical Japanese musical instrument, a four - or five-stringed pear-shaped lute, the ( bati ) is struck with a large plectrum. It is closely related to the Chinese pipa, which is written with the same characters, and was. Earlier times, among others by blind singer - monks, the so-called biwa Hoshi used to reciting ballads Today, it is however no longer in use rambling.

The Biwa lute was also Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa its name, perhaps because he has a similar shape. On the Lake Biwa itself is an island with a shrine to the goddess Benten. This has as the best-known of its attributes again a Biwa lute.

Written with other characters (枇杷) is the Japanese word biwa the Japanese Loquat fruit ( Eriobotrya japonica).

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