Traditional Japanese Music: Famous Pieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Traditional Japanese Music

Naso-ri

Bugaku 'Nasori'

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.

Kume SongKume-shi

Gagaku Concert Celebrating the New Year: “Kokufu Kabū Kume-mai” (Gifu Prefecture Cultural and Artistic Activities Support Grant Program)

Rooted in the ancient Kume clan, this piece has long been performed at major Imperial ceremonies such as the Daijōe and the Toyonoakari no Sechie, accompanied by a valiant dance by four performers bearing swords.

Though the tradition once lapsed in the medieval period, it was later revived, and in modern times it has been recorded by the Tokyo Gakuso on the album “Columbia Japanese Classical Music Selection 20: Gagaku.” Set to accompaniment by gagaku instruments including the wagon, ryūteki, and hichiriki, the work features the chanting of ancient lyrics, embodying a solemn grandeur and vigor befitting celebrations of military victory.

When you wish to engage with the Japanese spirit or seek a sacred atmosphere, please lend it your ear.

Left-side dance “Seigaiha (Blue Ocean Waves)”Nisei Kiyomoto Umekichi

Left side: Seigaiha (blue ocean waves pattern)

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).

BanzairakuSokuten Bukō

Gagaku: the court music piece “Manzairaku”

Manzairaku is one of the Tang-dynasty pieces of Tōgaku (music from Tang China) that was transmitted to Japan.

It is gagaku in the heichō mode, a medium-length piece, in the extended eight-beat meter, with ten measures, classified as a “new piece,” and includes a dance (four dancers, bunbu/civil dance).

It is said to have been composed after the cry of an imperial parrot kept by Empress Wu Zetian, which supposedly called out “banzai” (“ten thousand years”).

The sequence consists of Heichō Chōshi and Hingen (entrance of the dancers), Tōkyoku (dance to the main piece), and Chōshi and Rin Chōshi (exit), with the paired dance being Engiraku.

It is still frequently performed today and is a representative example of a left-side, level dance; it is sometimes danced together with Taiheiraku during the “Feast of Celebration” in the Great Ceremony of the Emperor’s Accession.

Alongside Etenraku, it serves as an introductory piece for those wishing to learn about gagaku.

Ying melody “Bintatara”Ifukube Akira

Akira Ifukube, “Yokyoku ‘Bindatara’”

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.

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Shonai Kagura, Oita Prefecture

31st Shonai Kagura Festival – Online

This kagura, handed down in Shōnai-machi, Yufu City, Ōita Prefecture, is a community-rooted performing art that has continued since the late Edo period.

It is characterized by vibrant musical accompaniment of drums and flutes, with powerful drum tones and rhythmic beats that captivate the audience.

In signature pieces such as “Slaying the Great Serpent,” the dance unfolds in a style that is heroic yet at times humorous, and together with its dazzling costumes, it heightens the festive atmosphere.

Regular performances are held annually from May through October, and it is said that a festival featuring the entire kagura troupe is also held in autumn.

Hiroshima Kagura: Jinrin

Hiroshima Kagura Ikadzu Kagura Troupe Chiririn

A signature piece of Iwami Kagura and Hiroshima Kagura, this dramatic program tells the story of Emperor Chūai and his retainer Takamaro vanquishing fearsome demons.

The demons, depicted with wings on their backs and riding in on black clouds, are brought to life with some of the largest kagura masks and distinctive costumes, creating a stage presence that overwhelms the audience.

The performance begins with a spoken exchange between gods and demons, then unfolds into a fast-paced showdown featuring two deities and two demons—one of its key highlights.

As one of the core pieces frequently performed in regular programs across Hiroshima Prefecture, it captivates those seeking to experience the profound spirituality of Japanese traditional performing arts, with a compelling musical ensemble of drums, gongs, and flutes woven together with solemn kagura chants.