Traditional Japanese Music

Traditional music in Japan or hōgaku—meaning literally (home) country music, as opposed to yōgaku or Western music—is the folk or classical music of Japan. There are three types of this music: theatrical, court music (called gagaku), and instrumental. Most ethnomusicologists view hōgaku, in a broad sense, as the form from which the others were derived.

Japan has several theatrical forms of drama in which music plays a significant role; the main forms are kabuki and noh.

Court music is the oldest traditional music in Japan. It was usually patronized by the Imperial Court or the shrines and temples. Gagaku music includes songs, dances, and a mixture of other Asian music. Gagaku has two styles: instrumental music (kigaku) and vocal music (seigaku).

Shōmyō is a kind of Buddhist chanting of sutras syllabically or melismatically set to melodic phrasing, usually performed by a male chorus. Jōruri is narrative music using the shamisen (plucked instrument with 3 strings); nagauta and ogiebushi are other shamisen styles. Shakuhachi flute music has three of its own genres. Sōkyoku uses the Japanese koto, which differs from the Chinese (guzheng). There are two well-known families of sōkyoku, which can be distinguished by the shape of the plectra used in playing: yamata ryu and ikuta ryu. 1600s–1860s.