NAGAHAMA, Shiga -- Production of silk strings for traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen and koto is at its seasonal peak in this western Japan town. At the workshop of Marusan ...

Composer Miya Masaoka has started playing the "Laser Koto," a futuristic version of the traditional Japanese stringed instrument, the Koto, that's been around since the 8th century. Masaoka outfitted ...