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This is a Sokyoku piece in the Kumiuta style from the Ikuta Ryû school . This piece was composed for koto by Yatsuhashi Kengyo .

History (from Tsuge Gen'ichi)
Shiki no kyoku ('The Four Seasons') is one of the best-known and most frequently performed of the 'Thirteen Yatsuhashi Song Cycles.' While examination reveals a direct relationship with a song cycle of the same title in the earlier tsukushi-goto tradition, Yatsuhashi's version bears a distinctive new color, and even during his lifetime acquired great prestige.

This song cycle is classified into the oku ('deep interior') category of kumiuta (1). Shiki no kyoku consists of an introduction and four songs praising each of the four seasons. The introductory song is apparently based on 'The First Warbler' (Hatsume) chapter from 'The Tale of Genji.'

(1) Kumiuta are traditionally classified into four categories according to the degree of profundity and stylistic proficiency required and sometimes the technical difficulties involved. These are omote (lit. "outside"), ura (lit. "inside"), naka (lit. "interior"), oku (lit, "deep interior"). By way of illustration, it may be helpful to imagine these categories as representing the structure of the imperial palace or a Shinto shrine with outer and inner walls, and further inside, the outer and inner sanctuaries. It should also be mentioned that these categories represent stages of a student’s progress in the learning of the koto repertoire, and are regulated by the issuing of diplomas along the way.

Poem (translated by Tsuge Gen'ichi)
The dawning of spring,
Flowers in bloom;
Fragrance in sunlight,
A cloudless sky.
The hearts of men
Find peace
Without willing
Everywhere.

In spring, warblers
Amid the plum blossoms.
Azaleas and wisteria
And yellow roses.
Cherry blossoms
Adorn the courtiers-
In all hearts,
Flowers.

In summer,
Sunflowers and oranges,
Iris and lotus,
And wild pinks.
The breezes
Are refreshing-
In all hearts,
Cool waters.

In fall, colored leaves,
The cry of the deer,
And pine crickets
Amid the field flowers.
At sunset,
The honking of geese-
In all hearts,
The moon.

In winter, cold drizzles
And the first frost,
Hail and sleet,
And wintry gales.
Daybreak
After a crystal cold night-
In all hearts,
Snow.

Shiki no Kyoku appears on the following albums:

Album	Shakuhachi	Koto	Shamisen
Art of the Koto - Volume II		Yoshimura Nanae
Sokyoku Jiuta Taikei 04  (Listen)		Koshino Eisho I