Gagaku – Music of the Imperial Court of Japan

Gagaku 雅楽 literally means “elegant music” is a term that was originally used in contrast to Zokugaku (popular music) It was imported to Japan largely from China and Korea by the 6th century and by the 8th century Japanese musicians had already combined these new sounds with traditional Japanese music giving life to what we know today as Gagaku that curiously has changed very little in its form throughout its history.

If you were a commoner in ancient Japan, you would not have a chance to listen to Gagaku music as it was meant to accompany the rituals and actions of the Emperor and the Imperial Family and was meant to convey an aura of dignity, mystery, and wonder . The Gagaku is characterized by its long and slow music with movements similar to dance included in its 3 main musical styles or forms of interpretation: the Kangen (instrumental music), the Bugaku (dances and music) and Kayō (songs and sung poetry). Fortunately, performances are now offered for the general public in recitals organized by the Department of Music of the Imperial Household.

The instruments that are most commonly associated with Gagaku are the Sho (mouth organ) and the Hichiriki (a type of oboe). In addition to these, the Ryuteki (small transverse flute) and Biwa (4-stringed lute) and Koto are used. (type of zither of up to 20 strings) and percussion such as Taiko and Shōkō among others.

Listening to the music of Gagaku is a very immersive and even relaxing experience. Its characteristic sounds invite you to delve into your thoughts and enjoy dance or poetry!

Gagaku has great historical value as it is the oldest living tradition of orchestral music in the world with more than 1,300 years of life. It is considered Intangible Cultural Property of Japan and at the same time the court musicians are recognized as ” Important Intangible Cultural Properties “, which is a designation commonly known as “Living National Treasure” Being so different in form and instrumentation compared to with western music, it has gained great artistic recognition. His highly artistic harmony scheme and tone system has greatly contributed to the creation and development of contemporary music.

If you want to know how the Gagaku sounds, we recommend the following video!

Learn more about traditional Japanese instruments such as the Koto or the Shamisen in our posts! And in the next video we talk about the traditional music of Japan!