Japan has the world's tenth largest population. Traditional Japanese music originated from influences of Chinese music but developed unique Japanese styles. Traditional music includes shinto music used in worship, folk music called saibara, and court music called gagaku. Gagaku uses various vocal and instrumental styles. Traditional Japanese instruments include strings like the koto and shamisen, winds like shakuhachi and ryuteki, and percussion. Modern J-Pop combines traditional Japanese music with pop and rock genres and includes popular artists like Ayumi Hamasaki and Dreams Come True.

2. Let’s Learn
The state of Japan or Nihon or Nippon is an island nation in the Pacific
Ocean of East Asia. The characters that make up Japan’s name mean “sun-
origin”, which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Rising
Sun”. Japan has the world’s tenth-largest population.
The name Japan may have come from Zipangu, the Italian name given to
the country by Marco Polo, a Venetian traveler of the late 1200’s. Polo had heard
of the Japanese islands while travelling through China.
The word for music in Japanese is ongaku, “on” meaning sound and
“gaku” meaning music. Traditional music of Japan is rich and varied. Most of its
forms were imported from China but were reshaped into Japanese styles.

4. Musical Elements Characteristics
Rhythm Based on ma (a Japanese
interval)
Starts slow, fast then slow with a
drown endings uses duple meter
Melody Uses pentatonic scale
Timbre Vocal – sung in high tight-throated
and melismatic manner
Harmony and texture Monophonic
Form Often follows a three-part form
called jo-ha-kyu

5. Traditional Music
Traditional Japanese music may be classified into Shinto (music of
worship), saibara (Japanese folk music), gagaku (court music), and Kabuki
or Noh music theater (drama music).
The Shinto music may be classified into Kagura and Shomyo.
1. Kagura – It is used on formal occasions at shrines or imperial
functions and at Shinto folk festivals. Shinto prayers (norito), is recited by a
priest to seek purification and blessings. Shinto includes songs, dance, and
an instruments called suzu (a cluster of shaken pellet bells). Dancers at
these festivals perform inside and outside the shrines, and their
performances are interspersed with chants to the gods.
2. Shomyo – (Buddhists chants) – It is written in one of three
languages: Sanskrit, Chinese or Japanese. It is sung in unison with
ornaments, free rhythm, and phrases or ritual sections marked off by bells
or percussion instruments.

6. Saibara or Japanese folk songs, on the other hand, are sung in
Chinese and in high, tight-throated, and mellismatic fashions. Saibara
is accompanied by an instrument ensemble called hayashi, consisting
of four instruments, namely three drums and a flute.
Gagaku (elegant music) refers to the traditional court music of
Japan, which flourished during the Nara and Heian periods (710-
1185). In Japanese, gagaku means “refined” (ga) “music” (gaku).
Gagaku is the music of the elite. It is often known as the “art of
singing and dancing”. It is considered as the oldest surviving court
music in shrines and temples.

7. Gagaku music has two styles: Kigaku (instrumental music) and Seigaku
(vocal music). It may be also classified in four categories which include the
following:
1. Kangen (instrumental ensemble of the wind and string
instruments)
2. Bugaku (dance music)
3. Songs
4. Ritual music for Shinto ceremonies

8. Japanese music uses four types of pentatonic scale. They are the
following:
1. Yo Scale – used in Japanese music including gagaku and shomyo. It is
used specifically in folk songs.
2. In Scale (also known as the Sakura pentatonic scale due to its use in
the well-known folk song Sakura, Sakura) – It is used in Japanese
music, excluding gagaku and Buddhist chanting. It contains minor
notes, and is used specifically in music for the koto and shamisen.
3. Ryo Scale – sounds more like Chinese scale
4. Ritsu Scale – sounds more like Japanese Scale

10. Instrumental Ensembles
1. Kangen – It is an orchestral music and instrumental ensemble
accompanying the dance in Bugaku. This ensemble means, “wind and
string instruments.”

11. 2. Sankyoku – It is an ensemble composed of three famous Japanese
instruments namely koto (zither), shamisen (lute), and shakuhachi
(flute). It is used as an accompaniment for vocal music and serves as
an interlude in between music sections.

12. Musical Instruments
Traditional Japanese instruments are musical instruments used in
the traditional and folk music of Japan. They are composed of string,
wind, and percussion instruments. Japanese music sound like Chinese
music because most of the instruments came from China.

13. Chordophones
Koto Shamisen Biwa
- A Japanese zither of 13
silk-starched strings
stretched over movable
bridges.
- One of Japan’s
traditional three-stringed
musical instrument
- A pear sahped lute with
four strings and plays both
the melody and tempo

14. Aerophones
Shakuhachi Ryuteki Hichiriki
- Japan’s vertical
bamboo flute with five
finger holes
- A kind of Japanese
flute
- A Japanese oboe. A
small double-reed pie
made of bamboo with six
finger holes. Its length
varies from nine inches or
a little more.

15. Membranophones
Taiko Kotsuzumi Kakko
- two-headed barrel
drum
- An hour glass-shaped
drum which is painted
black with gold
decoration
- Side drum often used to
play interesting rhythm

16. Idiophones
Tsuri-daiko Shoko Shime-daiko
- A small gong used to
mark various temporal
divisions and cadence
points
- A large hanging drum A small Japanese drum
played with a stick called
“bachi”

17. J-Pop or Jeipoppu is a musical genre that entered the musical scene
of Japan in the 1990’s. It has the roots in traditional Japanese music, but
combined pop and rock genre. Some of the best-selling J-Pop are B’z, Mr.
Children, Ayumi Hamasaki, Southern All Stars, and Dreams Come True.
Ayumi Hamasaki Dreams Come True

18. THANK YOU