While many Wagakki, such as the "Gagaku Biwa" (a Japanese lute traditionally used for ceremonial court music), have retained their original forms (and these forms can no longer be found in mainland Asian), other instruments, such as the Shamisen (a three-stringed musical instrument), the Shakuhachi (a five-holed traverse bamboo flute), the Nohkan (a traverse flute used in Noh), and the Ko-tsuzumi and O-tsuzumi (small and large drums, respectively, that are used in Noh), have developed in a unique fashion in Japan.
「雅楽の琵琶」(楽琵琶)のように、大陸では失われてしまった古い姿を残している楽器も多いが、「三味線」「尺八」「能囃子」「能囃子・能囃子」のように独特な進化を遂げたものもある。