Kokyu is sometimes used in traditional local attractions, such as puppet shows and hayashi (music performed with traditional Japanese instruments for making the atmosphere cheerful) in festivals, and in some areas, Kokyu was played in the past by farmers as one of their side jobs or by Goze (blind female musicians) as Kadotsuke (performance in front of the gate of houses).
地方の人形芝居や祭りの囃子など民俗芸能に使われることもあり、かつて地方によっては農民の冬の副業として、また瞽女（ごぜ）によって、門付として演奏されることもあった。