鼓 means “drum”

つづみ · tsuzumi

Also: beat, rouse, muster

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

つづみ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

コ

Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes

The story

A vessel (壴) struck with a hand holding a stick (支): 鼓 is the primal beat that drives Japanese festivals. The massive 太鼓 (taiko) drums of festival processions can be heard for miles, their thunderous rhythm shaking the ground itself.

Used in 太鼓 (taiko, big drum), 鼓動 (kodou, heartbeat/pulsation), and 小鼓 (kotsuzumi, hand drum)

More from Music & Arts

• 音 sound
• 曲 melody
• 唱 chant
• 演 perform
• 芸 art
• 美 beauty
• 歌 song
• 楽 music
• 踊 dance
• 奏 play (music)
• 劇 drama
• 画 painting

Learn 鼓 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.