[Japanese-style BGM] Beautiful tones woven from Japanese tradition

Lots of BeatlesKoto Shiki no Kai

Taishogoto, Koto, and Shiki-no-Kai Concert – Full of Beatles

Have you ever listened to Western songs or J-pop played on the taishōgoto? Professional musicians perform on it, but amateurs also play it at recitals.

This is a Beatles medley performed by a hobby group.

The taishōgoto’s sound is soft and gives you a warm, relaxed feeling.

Genroku Cherry-Blossom Viewing Dancenagauta

Nagauta: Genroku Cherry-Blossom Viewing Dance

In old period films, whenever the scene switched to a lavish banquet at a castle, this piece of music was invariably used as the background score.

Well-known rakugo storytellers like Shinosuke Tatekawa and the late Enraku Sanyutei used it as their entrance music.

This video features a performance by the Kumamoto Prefecture Traditional Japanese Music Association.

heartbeatYoshida Kyōdai

YOSHIDA BROTHERS — Kodo

The Yoshida Brothers, Tsugaru shamisen players who made a splash with their major debut in 1999, are now active in a wide range of fields.

Their music is irresistibly captivating, and the performance they showcase in their monochrome music video is both beautiful and incredibly powerful.

Kagemusha2CELLOS

2CELLOS – Kagemusha

Next up is a distinctive performance… When it comes to Kurosawa films, they still have a wide range of fans both abroad and in Japan.

They’re also renowned for their exceptionally high level of craftsmanship, including the film music.

Here we have Kagemusha performed on two cellos.

Despite not using traditional Japanese instruments—and being played by foreign musicians—it still sounds unmistakably Japanese.

It absolutely reaffirms just how wonderful the composition is.

[Healing Effect] A soothing Japanese-style music medley that feels like an autumn festival [BGM for Work]Royalty Free Music

[Healing Effect] A soothing Japanese-style music medley that feels like an autumn festival [BGM for Work]

Recently, more and more musicians have been releasing their original compositions as copyright-free works.

This is a soothing medley of Japanese-style songs, carefully selected and blended from such performances to capture the atmosphere of autumn festivals.

It’s filled with truly practical tracks that evoke the open, airy feeling of a clear autumn festival night and the distant sound of festival music drifting through the air.

Sakura Variationssōkyoku

Sakura Variations

Aside from New Year’s, the place you most often hear the koto is at cherry-blossom viewings.

And this piece is indispensable there.

Composed by Michio Miyagi, a leading figure in koto music, it features a refined and beautiful ensemble for two kotos.

It almost makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a Japanese restaurant.

Statement Four Wisdom Sanskrit HopeKōyasan Nanzan Shinryū

Koyasan Nanzan Shinryu Shomyo, Shichi Bon-go, Matsushima Ryukai

A performance based on the Koyasan Nanzan Shinryu sutras, composed, arranged, and structured by Ryukai Matsushima as before: “Shomyo Shichi Bongo: Hope.” It is a hymn that single-mindedly praises the teachings handed down from the principal deity of Esoteric Buddhism, Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai), and his four kinds of wisdom.

Among shomyo pieces, it is one of the most popular—so powerful that you might find yourself hearing it anywhere in the world.

While it can be enjoyed purely as music in a Japanese-style BGM vein, it is, of course, also a profoundly venerable work.