Japanese Culture

A Super-Condensed History of Japan

• According to legend, Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor, was a direct descendent of Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess. Throughout Japanese history, an emperor has always been present, although he may not be the one controlling the country. In the mid 1500s, Japan was split up into many provinces, called Shogunates, and the Emperor was powerless. Each one was ruled by a respective Shogun. This split had happened many years before. Eventually, Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded in conquering the other shogunates. Before his leadership could truly begin, however, he passed away, and was succeeded by Tokagawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu is the one who is accredited with uniting all of Japan. In the late 1800s, the Emperor Meji's power was restored, and Japan began a large modernization movement. This movement ended in the early 1900s. Even though they participated in the First World War, the only things Japan really got out of it were serious economic problems. In the Second World War, Japan bombed the American military base of Pearl Harbour, and the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were destroyed by atomic bombs. Today, Japan's economy has become one of the strongest in the world, and it continues to grow.

Types of Japanese Music

Gagaku

A performance of Gagaku theater

• The oldest surviving form of music in Japan. Its name can be translated as "elegant music". It is a purely instrumental form of music that accompianies the bugaku type of dance. Influenced by Korea and China, this type of music reached Japan in the early 700s. This music is made up of strings, percussion, and winds, with each part making a distinct sound.

Noh Music

A Noh performer

• Noh music naturally accompianies Noh theater. The percussion played in beat with the text, while the winds and the strings played an independent line. It has distinct Buddhist influences.

Taiko

• Taiko music is a staple at any traditional Japanese festival or ceremony. The taiko drum can be used to make many different sounds, depending on where on the drum it is hit. Traditional taiko music generally makes use of a ji, or overall theme, that is repeated many times and varied. For a good example of traditional Taiko music, look at the analysis of the piece LION by Kodo.

Modern Japanese Music

• Western music has become increasingly popular in Japan, from pop and rock music to blues and jazz. And of course, one must mention that the concept of karaoke music, the practice of singing a song along with an instrumental version of the piece, came from Japan.

Traditional Instruments

Biwa Lute

• The biwa is a four-stringed lute plucked with a large plectrum. It was used by musicians to be played along with tales about warriors. It was the first instrument used for narrative music.

Shamisen

• The shamisen is a three-stringed banjolike lute. Like the biwa, the shamisen can be used to play narrative music. However, it can also be used for the lyrical music of Kabuki theater, which is vastly different in comparison to Noh.

Taiko Drums

• See Taiko.

Musical Example

LION- Kodo

Kodo is a world-renouned taiko group. Their fusion of traditional styles with very sleight modern influence is responsible for their popularity.

Analysis

General:

• Voices, taiko drums, other percussion
  • Taiko drums are very versatile, can be used to produce many different sounds
  • Voice is used as part of rhythm, similar to drumming language heard in class
• Homophonic (monophonic at solos)
• Duple meter

Structure:

• ABCD
• Introduction
  • Starts with basic beat, with voices shouting on the first beat of each measure
  • Is the underlying theme of the piece, and will be returned to many times
• A
  • At 0:14, the taiko drums produce a deep sound, followed by fast moving lighter ones, and the voice exits
  • In between the series of lighter notes, silence, or ma, is used (see context)
  • At 0:30, the lighter notes are joined by a consistent deeper pitch (still taiko drums)
• B
  • At 0:46 the introduction is revisited, but this time as a real section
  • It sounds identical, until 0:56, when the higher pitch reenters, and layers over this original theme
  • The higher beats become syncopated around 1:09
  • At 1:26 the introductory theme is revisited
  • At 1:46 the higher notes are revisited, and at 1:52 the initial theme is once again revisited
• C
  • At 2:06, the main part drops out, and a faster part is played on a xylophone-like instrument
  • This part is tonal, and seems to be modal
  • At 2:11, after a pattern has been established, the higher pitched taiko beat returns, playing at the start of each pattern
  • The deeper taiko pitches eventually return, until 2:36
• D
  • At 2:36, the introductory theme seems to return, but instead of shouting on the first beat, the voices begin to chant constantly
  • At 2:50, the chants intensify
  • The chants continue to intensify until 3:17, when the drums speed up a lot, and the voice resumes shouting on the first beat
  • The shouts get closer and closer together, and the taiko crescendos until the end of the piece

Context:

• Taiko drums are an important traditional Japanese instrument
• Used in many ceremonies and festivities
• Taiko is based on rhythm
• The ji of the piece is the overall theme, which returns constantly throughout
  • In this piece, the ji is introduced right away
• The silence between each drum hit is known as the ma. The ma is just as important as when the drums are actually being hit. The ma is critical to add tension and emotion to the piece.

Sources

1. Iezzi, Julie A. "Music-Japan." Encyclopedia of Modern Asia. Eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002.
2. "Japan." CultureGrams 2007: World Edition. Provo: ProQuest Information and Learning, 2006.
3. "Japanese." Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Eds. Timothy L. Gall and Susan Bevan Gall. Detroit: U*X*L, 1999.
4. http://www.narahaku.go.jp/exhib/2004toku/shosoin/images/shosoin-06-6.jpg
5. http://www.etnomuzikologie.cz/enc_images/japan/shamisen.jpg
6. http://aitech.ac.jp/~inomoto/ino/taiko/img/japan/taiko6.jpg
7. http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/images/08/08ph-dakyugaku.jpg
8. http://www.radiobremen.de/online/masken/_bild/noh-theater1.jpg
9. http://japundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/flag.jpg
10. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e641.html

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