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.
- Spirit of Wa: Masterpieces for the Koto — Japan’s Beautiful Melodies
- [New Year BGM] New Year Songs Loved Across Generations
- A Collection of Moving Shakuhachi Masterpieces | Beautiful Japanese Melodies That Stir the Heart
- [2026] A Collection of Classic and Popular J-Pop Songs About God [Japanese Music]
- Masterpieces and popular songs by Wagakki Band
- [Song of Osaka] A selection of passionate, warm-hearted Osaka tunes
- The Spirit of Japan: A Collection of Famous and Popular Shamisen Pieces
- Masterpieces of Japanese fusion—From nostalgic classics to recent recommendations—
- A beautiful Japanese song that purifies the heart. A highly recommended classic.
- Cute masterpieces of J‑Pop: recommended popular songs
- Today's recommended ballads: A carefully curated selection of heartwarming, gem-like masterpieces!
- [Japanese-style BGM] Beautiful tones woven from Japanese tradition
- “Japanese Traditions”: Japanese Festival Music (Jun Hōgaku)
[Japanese Traditional Music] Masterpieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Japanese traditional music (1–10)
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.
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.
Kume SongKume-shi
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.
[Traditional Japanese Music] Masterpieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Traditional Japanese Music (11–20)
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).
Hyōjō Kōjōkyū Ryūteki SoloChūshū
“Ōjō” is a type of Tōgaku (Tang music) in gagaku that was introduced from China.
It is in hyōjō mode, classified as a large piece (taikyoku) and shin-gaku (new music), and it includes a dance performed by six dancers.
It is one of the four great pieces of Tōgaku, along with Shun’ōden, Sokōkō, and Banshūraku.
The circumstances of its transmission to Japan are unknown.
The piece originally consisted of four sections—yūsei, jo, ha, and kyū—but today only the solemn kyū is performed instrumentally (kangen).
The character 麞 is read “noro” in Japanese and refers to a type of deer in kun-yomi, but in this case it does not indicate a deer; it appears to derive from the Chinese place name Huangzhang Valley.
This is recommended for those who wish to learn about the style of gagaku and the form of Tōgaku brought from China.
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.
Shonai Kagura, Oita Prefecture
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.