Fukuyama City in Hiroshima Prefecture, has been a land of popular songs and musical pieces since the early Edo period (beginning of the 1600s), and has built a reputation as a koto production center while improving manufacturing processes. Kotos are not only characterized by their excellent sound quality, but also by the gorgeous appearance of their decorations and the beauty of their wood grain, making them highly valued as crafts. The finest paulow-nia wood is dried over a long period of time, and then by skilled craftsmen, intricate decorative patterns are carved and lacquered with maki-e lacquering techniques, resulting in a gorgeous and delicate beauty.