The Music of Japan

Today I will be talking about Japanese music. Japan has had a long and diverse history, allowing music to evolve alongside society. As time went on, as an island, Japan became more isolated culturally, allowing it to become unique in its culture and music.

Let me start off with my first topic, the Shakuhaci. The Shakuhaci is an end blown bamboo flute. The end you blow in is cut at a slant and you insert a piece of ivory or bone, much like a reed in a clarinet. The body of the shakuhachi is naturally or artificially bent for aesthetic purposes. It’s name is derived from its original length, one shaku (approximately 11.93 inches) and eight (hachi) sun (approximately 1.2 inches) (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). However, it comes in many lengths.

The modern shakuhachi is derived from the fuke shakuhachi that was used as a spiritual tool by wandering Buddhist priests. In the shakuhachi, there is no tool to control the flow of the air, so accurate angle and lip shape is required to produce sounds. With it normally only having five holes, one would think it could only produce a pentatonic scale, but through the use of “of various fingerings, half holing and by adapting the angle of the embouchure on the lips,” many tones can be produced (“Shakuhachi.”).

Below is a video of "Hi To Mi" (ひとみ), a song written by Horii Kojiro (堀井 小二朗) for the film Twenty-Four Eyes, played by Rodrigo Rodriguez on the the shakuhachi. 

Now onto the next instrument, the koto. The koto is undeniably the most popular Japanese instrument. It was introduced from China and normally has 13 strings. There is also a 7 string kin and a 6 string koto that is called yamatogoto or wagon. All strings are the same thickness and there are mobile bridges called kotoji that are moved under the strings to tune the koto. To play the koto, you use tsume, which are small picks attached to three fingers on the right hand. The koto was used in gagaku—traditional court music—as part of an ensemble. It later was an accompaniment for ballads in temples and eventually started to be performed by itself in the Edo period (1603-1868) (“Koto.”).  

Yatsuhashi Kengyo is recognised by many as the creator of the modern koto. There are two traditions of koto and it is featured in ensembles with shakuhachi and shamisen (a type of traditional lute). New koto pieces have been made steadily since the Meiji Era (1868-1912). New kotos—“the 17 string bass koto, the 20 string, 25 string, and 30 string koto”—were created after 1926 that broadened the musical range (“Koto”).

Below is a video of Fuyuki Enkido, a famous koto player, playing "Sakura, Sakura" at Manchester Meropolitan University in August of 2012. 

Now on to my last topic, Japanese Pop or J-Pop. Many people may know about K-pop, but not J-Pop and that is because J-Pop tries to focus more on Japan’s citizens rather than appealing to people overseas. Personally, I have not listened to any J-Pop, but I have listened to songs that are in Japanese, though I know they are not J-Pop. 

While J-Pop does refer to Japanese pop, it also covers genres that are normally classified outside of pop—rock, R&B and hip hop. Kayōkyoku, or music that has Western influences, developed after the second world war and became the base for modern J-Pop. There are a few very popular J-Pop artists, and you may even know a few of them!

First is a boy group named Arashi. The band formed in 1999 and in 2019 their compilation album became the best selling album worldwide, beating out Taylor Swift and BTS. They draw inspiration from pop music. However, they have since disbanded, as in early 2019 they announced they would no longer continue as a band after 2020. However, they are still a force in J-Pop. Below is their most popular song “Turning Up.”

AKB48 is one of the highest-earning acts and girl groups in Japanese music. Formed in 2005, they have sold millions of records since their debut and their music is based mainly in pop. AKB48 has their own theater in Akihabara, Tokyo. The group is split into multiple teams to split the workload and they appeal directly to their fans for support. Below is a song many might recognize, as it is the song “Sugar Rush” that the group recorded for the 2012 film, Wreck-It Ralph.

Finally, this might be the name everyone recognizes, Babymetal. We all know that heavy metal is not for everyone, but Babymetal combined kawaii and metal creating their unique sound and look. Because of this, they achieved success both within Japan and internationally. Below is “KARATE” from their album METAL RESISTANCE. One of their members, Moametal, says that this is her favorite song. 

Japanese music was really fun to research. I enjoyed learning about shakuhachi, the koto, and J-Pop. I might even start listening to some J-Pop after this! Hopefully you enjoyed reading about it. 

Works Cited

“Koto.” KOTO | Traditional Music Degital Library, 2014, https://www.senzoku-online.jp/TMDL/e/01-koto.html. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021. 

Law, Sam. “The 20 Greatest Babymetal Songs – Ranked.” Kerrang!, 25 May 2021, https://www.kerrang.com/features/the-20-greatest-babymetal-songs-ranked/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

“Shakuhachi.” SHAKUHACHI | Traditional Music Degital Library, 2014, https://www.senzoku-online.jp/TMDL/e/03-shaku8.html. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021

Tao. “A Newbie's Guide to J-Pop and Its Biggest Artists.” Go! Go! Nihon, 17 Oct. 2020, https://gogonihon.com/en/blog/guide-to-jpop/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021. 

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Shakuhachi.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2021, https://www.britannica.com/art/shakuhachi. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.