decoration and further reinforcement to the drumhead. In contrast, the drumheads used for the ōtsuzumi are made of thick horsehide, and are never decorated, as they are meant to be consumables. The wooden body is carved out from a single block of cherry wood, and is decorated with urushi lacquer and gold leaves in the maki-e style. The hemp cords were dyed previously in vermillion, although other dyes are used today due to its toxicity. Thanks to the meticulous measures gone through to craft them, a set of drumheads combined with the wooden body, when properly cared for, is said to last for centuries; it is not uncommon for professional players to use instruments made in the Edo period or Muromachi period. New instruments on the other hand might require years, or even decades, of use to be broken in. Only the cords holding the instrument need to be regularly replaced as they fray over time. The tsuzumi plays roles in both Noh and kabuki theater music, but it is also used in , or Japanese folk music. It is often played with its bigger counterpart, the (lit. large tsuzumi; also called ). Thus the tsuzumi is also referred to as the , or "small tsuzumi." The East entrance gate at JR Kanazawa Station was built to look like the tsuzumi. References Yokoyama, A (2010). "Glass gives new sheen to traditional Japanese music", Reuters, Retrieved on 2010-01-26 External links Japanese Traditional Music Tsuzumi Video Japanese musical instruments Drums