Traditional Japanese Music: Famous Pieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Traditional Japanese Music
How much have you experienced the beauty of Japan’s traditional music passed down since ancient times? In gagaku and kagura dwell a solemn atmosphere and profound spirituality that modern music cannot offer.
Japan’s traditional music, handed down for over a thousand years, holds a universal appeal that resonates in our hearts.
In this article, we introduce a selection of exquisitely pure melodies from Japan’s classical music.
Their timbres may be unfamiliar to modern ears, but they will surely sink deep into your heart.
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[Japanese Traditional Music] Masterpieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Japanese traditional music (1–10)
Daikagura Variety Act: Umbrella Performance
A representative acrobatic act of Daikagura in which a performer spins a Japanese umbrella while skillfully manipulating tea bowls and balls on top of it.
Because the umbrella forms an ever-expanding shape like a fan, it is considered auspicious and treasured at celebratory occasions, and it is counted as one of the pieces known as the Thirteen Acts of Daikagura.
Accompanied by felicitous patter, the technique of keeping objects balanced and spinning atop the rotating umbrella is a highly refined art that captivates audiences.
As a traditional performing art showcased in various settings—such as shrine dedication rituals and vaudeville theaters—it has been handed down to the present day and is also enjoyed at school performances and cultural venues.
It’s recommended for those who want to see something auspicious or experience Japan’s traditional acrobatics.
Iwami Kagura, Shimane Prefecture
A majestic stage performing art handed down in the Iwami region of western Shimane Prefecture.
Originating before the Azuchi–Momoyama period, it was originally dedicated as a Shinto rite performed by priests, but from the late Edo period through the Meiji era it evolved into a form performed by local residents.
Among its pieces, “Orochi” is renowned for its spectacular staging, featuring fire-breathing effects and the dynamic movement of multiple giant serpent bodies.
Accompanied by drums, flutes, and gongs, and uniting declamation with dance, it recreates the world of myth before your eyes as a comprehensive performing art.
Notably, “Orochi” drew nationwide attention when it was performed at Expo ’70 in Japan, and it was also selected for the program of the 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo.
Hiroshima Prefecture: Hiroshima Kagura Quick Costume Change
In Hiroshima Prefecture’s kagura, a signature highlight is the technique of instantaneous costume and mask changes.
The sight of a gracefully dancing princess transforming in a flash into a fearsome demon captivates the audience.
Around 300 troupes are active within the prefecture, and drawing on the Iwami-region kagura of neighboring Shimane, they have evolved in their own direction, heightening theatricality and entertainment value.
The musical accompaniment of drums, flutes, and gongs builds tension, quickening in tempo as the story progresses, with masterful shifts in sound and timing at the very moment of transformation.
Blending the solemnity of Shinto ritual with the splendor of stage art, this form of kagura is highly recommended for those who wish to experience the depth of Japan’s traditional performing arts.
[Traditional Japanese Music] Masterpieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Traditional Japanese Music (11–20)
Naso-ri
A bugaku piece known for depicting male and female dragons dancing and frolicking.
It is also familiar under names such as “Sōryōbu” (Twin Dragon Dance).
Performed as a two-person dance in the lively ‘hashirumai’ style that moves energetically across the stage, it is accompanied by gagaku’s distinctive ensemble of hichiriki, ryūteki, shō, and percussion, which enhances the dance.
The work has two sections—Ha and Kyū—shifting from a relaxed pulse to a fast tempo, and the dancers wearing silver dragon masks present a truly majestic sight.
It continues to be performed today by gagaku groups such as the Hakuga-kai and the Tado Gagakukai.
Historically, in the Heian period it was performed when the Right Side won at court events like horseracing and sumo.
This masterpiece is highly recommended for those who wish to experience the depth of Japan’s traditional performing arts.
Left-side dance “Seigaiha (Blue Ocean Waves)”Nisei Kiyomoto Umekichi
A celebratory piece by Kiyomoto Umekichi II, a composer who inherited the Kiyomoto-bushi joruri tradition while infusing it with the fresh sensibilities of the Meiji era.
Premiered in 1897, the work is distinguished by lyrical landscape verses that weave together seas and place names from around Japan, mythology, and seasonal scenery.
Scored for shamisen with added flute and koto, its richly expressive melodic turns resonate with pleasing lyricism.
It has remained a staple of the Kiyomoto repertoire, performed at concerts and yose vaudeville theaters, and the boat-song-style development in the latter half is said to have been inspired by the Niigata Oiwake folk song.
It’s a recommended piece for anyone interested in exploring traditional Japanese music or savoring the atmosphere of wa (Japanese aesthetic).
Bugaku: BailuHanarōtoku
“Bairo” is a type of Tang-era music and one of the pieces of gagaku (Japanese court music) that came from Vietnam.
It is in the hyōjō mode, a medium-length piece, performed in the fast tada-bayashi meter; it uses the twelfth beat pattern, is an ancient piece, and includes a dance (with four dancers).
It is said to have been brought to Japan in Tenpyō 8 (736 CE) by the Brahmin monk Shōjō and a monk named Buttetzu from Linyi (present-day southern Vietnam).
In orchestral kangen performance it is played in the simple tada-bayashi meter, while in bugaku dance performance it is played in the yata-ra-bayashi meter.
Because the dancers perform with weapons, it is also known as a representative piece of martial dance.
It is recommended for those who wish to learn about the origins of Japanese gagaku and about cultural traditions found abroad, such as in Vietnam.
Ying melody “Bintatara”Ifukube Akira
This is the work Eikyoku “Bindatara” by Akira Ifukube, one of Japan’s leading composers, known for composing the theme for Godzilla.
Although this piece is not pure gagaku, it is an original work crafted as musical art using traditional Japanese instruments performed in gagaku and bugaku.
It features a wide array of Japanese instruments, including shinobue and ryuteki flutes, Chikuzen biwa, Satsuma biwa, koto, and the 17-string koto.
It stands as a symbol of Japan’s traditions and culture that should be passed down, and it has become an important part of the repertoire for performers of traditional Japanese instruments.
Listening to the piece conveys the beauty of Japan.
