Editing Harmonica (section)

===East Asia===
[[File:甲賀夢仙・著『手風琴新曲独案内』修文館、明治32年=1899年 harmonica diatonic accordion.jpg|thumb|A school boy playing harmonica, and a school girl playing one-row diatonic accordion. A self-study book published in 1899 in Japan.]]
In 1898, the harmonica was brought to Japan, where the Tremolo harmonica was the most popular instrument. After about 30 years, the Japanese developed scale tuning and semitone harmonicas that could play Japanese folk songs.

==== Japanese tremolo tuning ====
In Europe and the United States, tremolo harmonica uses the Richter tuning, developed in Germany. In 1913, Shōgo Kawaguchi ({{lang|ja|川口章吾}}), known in Japan as the "Father of the harmonica", devised an alternate tuning, which is more suited to playing Japanese folk tunes. This tuning is also suited to local music throughout East Asia, and harmonicas using the tuning became popular in the region.

==== Minor key tuning ====
Initial diatonic harmonica tunings were major key only. In 1931, Hiderō Satō ({{lang|ja|佐藤秀廊}}) announced the development of a minor key harmonica. There are two types of minor key tunings, "natural minor" suitable for folk and contemporary music, and Latin American music, and the "harmonic minor" suitable for some famous Japanese pieces.

====Hong Kong and Taiwan====
The harmonica started to gain popularity in Hong Kong in the 1930s.  Individual tremolo harmonica players from China moved to Hong Kong and established numerous harmonica organizations such as The Chinese Y.M.C.A. Harmonica Orchestra, the China Harmonica Society,<ref>({{lang|zh-Hant|中國口琴社}})</ref> and the Heart String Harmonica Society. During the 1950s, chromatic harmonica became popular in Hong Kong, and players such as [[Larry Adler]] and [[John Sebastian (classical harmonica player)|John Sebastian Sr.]] were invited to perform.

Local players such as Lau Mok ({{lang|zh-Hant|劉牧}}) and Fung On ({{lang|zh-Hant|馮安}}) promoted the chromatic harmonica. The chromatic harmonica gradually became the main instrument used by the Chinese Y.M.C.A. Harmonica Orchestra. The Chinese [[YMCA]] Harmonica Orchestra started in the 1960s, with 100 members, most of whom played harmonicas.<ref>The violin and viola were replaced by 12-hole and 16-hole chromonicas; cello by chord harmonica, contra bass and octave bass; double bass by octave bass; flute by pipe soprano; clarinet by pipe alto; trumpet by horn soprano; trombone by horn alto; oboe by melodica soprano; English horn by melodica alto; French horn by melodica professional.</ref> Non-harmonica instruments were also used, such as double bass, accordion, piano, and percussion such as timpani and xylophone.

In the 1970s, the Haletone Harmonica Orchestra ({{lang|zh-Hant|曉彤口琴隊}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.haletone.com/forum.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221174146/http://www.haletone.com/introeng.html|url-status=dead|title=主頁 - 曉彤口琴網|archivedate=21 February 2009|website=Haletone.com|access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> was set up at Wong Tai Sin Community Centre. Fung On and others continued to teach harmonica and also set up harmonica orchestras. In the 1980s, numbers of harmonica students steadily decreased. In the 1990s, harmonica players from Hong Kong began to participate in international harmonica competitions, including the World Harmonica Festival in Germany and the [[Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival]]. In the 2000s, the Hong Kong Harmonica Association (H.K.H.A.) ({{lang|zh-Hant|香港口琴協會}}) was established.

The history of the harmonica in Taiwan began around 1945. By the 1980s, though, as living standards improved, many instruments once beyond the budgets of most Taiwanese started to become more accessible and popular in preference to the harmonica.