In this book, rather than following the Japanese practice of placing family names first and given names second (MIKI Minoru), Japanese names are presented in the Western practice of given names first and family names second (Minoru Miki). Following the Hepburn romanization system, long vowel sounds in Japanese, as in the word (sho-u), are phonetically romanized as shō (Japanese mouth organ). Japanese terms are defined in the footnotes. For recurring musical terms, however, the definition will be given for the first appearance only. For subsequent recurrences, readers unfamiliar with the Japanese terms may refer to the glossary for their definitions. Pitches are designated by the Helmholtz octave designation system (middle c is referred to as c1). With Japanese instruments that transpose up an octave, such as the shinobue, ryūteki, nōkan, and shō, or down an octave, such as the biwa and shamisen, notes are indicated at the written pitch, not sounding pitch.

I would like to thank several people who have helped this translation come to fruition: Yoko Ide for her help with the biwa chapter, Yoko Kurokawa for her help with the ryūteki, shō, nōkan, and kokyū chapters, Darin Miyashiro for his help with the hichiriki chapter, David Wheeler and Seizan Sakata for helping me with Tozan fingerings and names of pitches in the shakuhachi chapter, and my advisor at the University of Hawai'i, Manoa, Dr. Donald Womack, who advised me on early drafts, and who wholeheartedly supported me throughout my doctoral studies in my work with Japanese instruments. I would also like to express my gratitude to Yoko Sato, who has supported me in countless ways from the very beginning of this project, and who, despite the miles that sometimes separated us, was always willing to help with Chinese character readings and opaque passages.

I would also like to thank the John Young Scholarship Foundation at the University of Hawai'i, Manoa, as well as the editor, Philip Flavin, for his unforgiving eye and meticulous attention to detail as I worked through several drafts of the translation manuscript. Also, this translation would not have been possible without the generous support, encouragement, and patience of Bonnie Wade.