Apart from 和琴 (Wagon), 'Kin (琴) no Koto,' which was also introduced in the Nara period, was apparently regarded as an important stringed instrument because it related to the religious services of the Chinese court: stringed instruments, all of which were called 'OO no Koto' in those days, were regarded as superior to wind instruments, because wind instruments would not make sound unless human beings breathed into them.
和琴とは別に、奈良時代に渡来した「琴」（きんのこと）は中国宮廷内の祭祀にまつわる楽器として、弦楽器（古代日本では、人間が息を吹き込まねば演奏できない管楽器よりも高尚なものとされた。当時弦楽器はすべて「○○のこと」と呼び習わされる）の中でも重要視されていたらしい。