Japanese   English                                                                                                        Ten is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2005 in Tokyo, Atsushi Asano (Vocal & Bass), Yuki Yasuda (Koto). Atsushi and Yuki are the real husband and wife. The band's name “Ten” has a few different meanings in Japanese: the sky; the air; Heaven; God; Providence; the top; a dot; a spot; a point; change. The koto (箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed instrument. This wooden instrument is about 180 cm long and has 13 strings which are strung over 13 movable bridges along the length of the instrument. Players use three finger picks (on the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger) to pluck the strings, and the pitches can be adjusted by moving these bridges before playing. Their music is made up of three instruments and vocals, not simply “featuring” the koto as a Japanese instrument but creating a unique blend of sounds as a band. Downtuned 5-string bass support Ten's distinct rock sound, as the amplified koto riffs and arpeggio play above. Atsushi explores issues personal to him in the lyrics and also in the album title. “Rebirth” is Ten's first recording and is a self-released demo CD single by the band Ten. It was recorded in January 2007.