Traditional music

Japan’s ancient music 5th to 9th centuries The Japanese have already had their own music culture. Although the music of the early Jomon period, Yayoi period, and Kofun period has not been handed down, according to archaeological data and documents such as "Kojiki", "Nihon Shoki", and "Man'yoshu" compiled in the 8th century, the Japanese In ancient times, it had its own songs, dances and musical instruments. Ancient harmonies with 5 strings are smaller than 6-string harmonies. Ancient flutes include bamboo flutes, spherical stone flutes, and ocarinas. The drum belly of Doudumei drum is cylindrical. Bells are available in metal, pottery and wood. Bells were used both as musical instruments and as decorations at that time. Duo appeared around the 1st century BC. The shape of copper duo is different from Chinese bells and duos. The basic types of musical instruments were complete in ancient Japan. After entering the agricultural society, there were the earliest songs and dances where men and women gathered together to sing and dance, as well as the music and dance of witches.

Japan has a long history of musical and cultural exchanges with foreign countries, and cultural exchanges with the Eurasian continent are mainly conducted through North Korea and China. Bronze ware had been imported before BC, and bronze altars appeared. Silla music, Baekje music, and Goguryeo music were introduced to Japan from the Korean Peninsula in the second half of the 5th century to the 7th century. They are called "Sanhan music" in Japan. At the beginning of the 7th century, in order to revitalize Buddhism, Prince Shotoku encouraged the introduction of mainland music, and asked Aimayuki from Baekje to settle in Sakurai, Yamato, and teach music to Japanese teenagers (Mano Shou's disciples, Shinkansaibun and others). Ji music is also called Wu music, and the accompaniment instruments used include transverse flute, waist drum (also known as Wu drum) and copper cymbals. In the 7th and 8th centuries, music from the Sui and Tang Dynasties of China was introduced to Japan. In 701, according to the Taiho Ryuto, the Gagakuryo was established under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Administrative Affairs to take charge of traditional Japanese music and dance called Japanese music and dance as well as foreign music and dance. At the consecration ceremony of the Great Buddha held at Todaiji Temple in 752, hundreds of musicians and dancers from the Gaarayu and various temples performed traditional Japanese music and dance, as well as Samhan music, Tang music, San music, Linyi music, and Dora music. Le et al. This shows that professional musicians have begun to appear in Japan.

Note: The first 4 are the basic modes of Japanese music. The white note in the example is the core note in the mode. Rhythm is divided into fixed beat rhythm (basically two beats) and loose rhythm. His singing and playing methods are unique, and he pays attention to subtle changes in timbre.

Modern Music

In 1868, Japan entered the Meiji Restoration period, and Japanese music entered the modern development stage. Its basic feature is that Japan rapidly absorbed European and American music culture, resulting in the coexistence of "Bangaku" (traditional music) and "Foreign music" that continues to this day. Traditional music during this period changed greatly. In 1871, the "Tangdao" professional organization for the blind was abolished and the Puhua sect was banned, which made zither music and shakuhachi music popular. The Satsuma pipa and Chikuzen pipa, which originated from the blind monk's pipa, entered Tokyo from the Kyushu region and spread throughout the country. The court music, supported by the new regime, gradually regained its vitality and expanded its influence. In the 1920s, the "New Japanese Music Movement" initiated by Michio Miyagi and others used traditional Japanese instruments and drew on Western European classical music composition techniques to create new songs, which further developed traditional music. His composition "Spring Sea" (1929), a duet for koto and shakuhachi, was a huge success. The seventeen-string koto created by Michio Miyagi was a major achievement in the reform of traditional musical instruments at that time. Since the mid-1950s, composers have been committed to using traditional instruments to create modern Chinese music. Among them, Minoru Miki contributed to the development of Japanese instrumental music genres and gave Japanese traditional music a modern flavor and vitality. The most influential bongo performance groups include the Nippon Music Group, chaired by Minoru Miki and Katsutoshi Nagasawa, and the bongo four-member club, composed of shakuhachi performer Hōzan Kitahara and others. Their musical practice brought new trends to the Bang music scene and created conditions for bridging the gap between Bang music and Western music.

The first European and American music introduced to Japan during the Meiji period was military music. In 1872, the Japanese government began to introduce the European and American music education system, stipulating the establishment of music courses in primary and secondary schools; in October 1879, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Music Research Institute (later known as Tokyo Music School, now known as the Faculty of Music of Tokyo University of the Arts) was established, headed by the president of Tokyo Normal School Shuji Izawa is also in charge. Since then, the training of music teachers and the compilation and selection of music teaching materials for primary and secondary schools have been on track, and professional music education has begun to take shape. Marked by the school songs "Flower" (1900) and "Moon over the Deserted City" (1901) composed by the famous composer Taki Rentaro, Japanese music creation has produced its first fruits in the early 20th century.

Japanese music creation before 1912 was almost all songs. During the Taisho period (1912-1926), Yamada Kosaku was the first to compose an orchestral piece composed by a large band, such as "Mandala Flower" (1913). Since the 1920s, the creation of foreign music genres such as solo songs, choruses, instrumental solos, and symphonic music has gradually dominated Japanese music culture. The New Symphony Orchestra, the predecessor of the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) Symphony Orchestra, has Performances began in February 1927. The National Music Association, founded in the same year, organized choral competitions and promoted amateur music activities across the country. On the eve of World War II, 270 groups nationwide joined the association, and there were 3,800 wind bands nationwide. Well-known composers at that time include Moroi Saburo and Ikeuchi Yujiro, who are famous all over the world in terms of professional music education; Minosaku Akiyoshi, Kiyose Yasuji, Matsudaira Yorinoori, Hayasaka Fumio, Ifukube Akira and Sugawara Akihiro who are self-taught and pay attention to national characteristics wait.

During World War II, Japan was under militaristic rule, and normal musical activities were destroyed. From 1938 onwards, foreign musicians' performances in Japan were suspended, and in 1940 various music groups were ordered to disband. By the end of the war, musical institutions such as performing groups, music schools, musical instrument factories, and record companies had almost ceased all activities.

Since the 1950s, post-war Japanese music culture has made great progress in creation, performance, appreciation, music education, music research and other aspects. After the war, a striking new generation emerged. The national opera "Yizuru" by Dani Kuma, "Three Chapters for Strings" by Yasushi Akutagawa, and "Nirvana Symphony" by Dai Toshiro are all masterpieces that have stood the test of time. In addition to Dai Toshiro, composers who actively absorbed modern European and American composition techniques include Yoshiro Irino, Minami Shibata, Makoto Moroi, Joji Yusen, Kei Ichiyanagi, and Yuji Takahashi, who were the first in Japan to adopt the twelve-tone system. Mamiya Yoshio, who used Japanese folk song materials to compose masterpieces such as "Choral Works No. 1" and is known as the "Bartok of Japan"; in the international music scene, his works such as "November Stairs" are refreshing Toru Takemitsu, Matsumura Seizo, Miki Minoru, Ishii Maki, etc. have all achieved fruitful results in exploring the national temperament of their works and creating non-Western European music. Akio Yashiro, Akira Mizen, Kaguyuki Noda, and Shinichiro Ikebe who were students of Yujirō Ikeuchi, and Hiroaki Minami and Seiaki Saegashi, who were students of Yoshio Hasegawa, are all composers with distinctive personalities who emerged after the 1960s. In short, various creative tendencies in the international music scene have been absorbed by the Japanese music scene, and are clearly reflected in the Japanese composition world.

After 1946, the Japanese music industry successively established industry organizations such as the Japan Modern Music Association, the Japan Musicians Club, the Japan Performance Union, the Music Writers Association, and the Japan Composers Association to maintain music. interests and safeguard the development of various music activities. Tokyo already has more than 10 professional symphony orchestras, and there is a constant flow of various overseas music performance groups, providing a variety of music appreciation opportunities. There are 60 colleges and universities across the country with music departments, including the Faculty of Music of Tokyo University of Music and Arts and the Faculty of Music of Toho Gakuen University. They deliver a large number of musical talents to the society every year, playing an active role in improving the international level of Japanese performers and popularizing music education in society. effect.