The shō (笙) is a Japanese wind instrument used as a part of “gagaku,” imperial court music, played by blowing into the moutpiece and covering select pipe holes. Gagaku is a traditional Japanese music style that can also be found in China, Vietnam, and Korea, and is reserved for imperial settings. After the Onin War ended in 1477, the original imperial ensemble for gagaku was discontinued, reemerging a century later with the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate. Gagaku traditions have taken various forms over time as foreign influence and Japanese culture has changed, and it may currently be quite different from the original.

Gagaku was not purely invented in Japan, however, as it took shape via heavy musical influence from China and Korea during the 6th century and became a part of court traditions during the 8th century. The shō itself is descended from a Chinese wind called the “sheng,” and gagaku can be traced back to a Chinese Tang dynasty music style called “togaku.”