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[Japanese-style Piano Pieces] A selection of recommended works with a pleasantly Japanese flavor
The piano is an instrument born in Europe.
Classical music is a musical style that developed in the West.
If you mainly practice classical works, you may naturally end up focusing on pieces infused with European essence, and it might be rare to feel a sense of “Wa” (Japanese aesthetics) while playing the piano.
So in this article, for those who want to try playing piano pieces that convey a distinctly Japanese flavor, we’ll introduce a wide selection of Japan-inspired piano works.
Even within the label “Japanese style,” the roots and forms of the pieces vary widely—from works composed by European composers inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e to sets of variations based on children’s songs.
Please enjoy listening while comparing the different expressions of “Japaneseness” in each work and savoring how interpretations of “Japanese style” vary from one composer to another!
[Japanese-style Piano Pieces] A Curated Selection of Comfortingly Japanese Works (1–10)
Fantasia “Sakura Sakura”Hirai Kōsaburō
Kozo Hiroi, a Japanese composer born in Kochi Prefecture in 1910, is known for his wide-ranging body of work and his deep knowledge of traditional Japanese music.
His 1971 solo piano piece, Fantasy “Sakura, Sakura,” is a fantasia based on the koto tune Sakura, Sakura, artfully blending Romantic-era piano techniques with the atmosphere of the koto.
The piece features a varied structure with drum-like rhythms and striking changes in tempo and expression.
Alongside evocations of Japan’s beautiful scenery, one can sense the composer’s affection for his homeland.
Experience this celebrated work—imbued with the sensibilities unique to a Japanese composer—at the piano.
Kimigayo Op. 26-1Georg Capellen
Georg Capellen, a German composer born in 1869, is known for discovering the potential for multiple chords and multiple tonalities in Japanese school songs (shoka) and for attempting his own distinctive harmonizations.
His “Kimigayo, Op.
26-1” appears at the beginning of Elementary School Songs, Op.
26, published in 1904.
In it, you can hear a version of “Kimigayo” with Western-style harmonization that differs from the one we sing in the national anthem chorus.
The collection contains 14 short pieces based on Japanese school songs, including “Ichigatsu Ichinichi” and “Sakura.” Why not enjoy performing them while appreciating a German composer’s interpretation of Japanese school songs?
Video, Volume 2, Track 3: “The Golden Fish”Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy, often regarded as a central figure of Impressionist music, left behind numerous works employing innovative techniques.
The third piece of Images, Book II, titled “Poissons d’or” (Goldfish), was composed in 1907 and is included as the first piece in a piano suite comprising thirteen pieces.
It is said to have been inspired by a painting of koi rendered on a Japanese lacquerware object owned by Debussy.
The way the quiet opening gradually gains motion and transforms into brilliant arpeggios evokes the image of koi swimming in a river or pond.
Throughout the piece, the delicate timbres on display possess a beauty truly worthy of being called “golden.”
From a Japanese folding screenAlbert Ketèlbey
Albert Ketèlbey was a British composer, conductor, and pianist.
He earned high acclaim in the field of light music in the early 20th century, characterized by his colorful orchestration and exotically tinged melodies.
Among his most famous works are In a Monastery Garden (1915) and In a Persian Market (1920), and this piece, From a Japanese Screen, likewise vividly showcases his signature style.
As the title suggests, it depicts Japanese landscapes and culture, reflecting the rising interest in Japan at the time.
You might enjoy letting the music carry your imagination to distant lands, or performing it while picturing the scenes it evokes.
Nihonbashi, Edo Style, on PianoOkumura Hajime
Hajime Okumura was a Japanese composer born in Saitama Prefecture in 1925.
After training with the Army Toyama School Military Band Student Corps and at the Tokyo Music School, he was active as a composer and wrote numerous film scores from the 1950s through the 1960s.
Piano Arrangement of “Oedo Nihonbashi” is one of the works he left behind.
Based on the folk song “Oedo Nihonbashi,” which describes scenes along the Tokaido’s fifty-three stations, its melody unfolds in a characteristically Okumura-like arrangement that highlights rhythm and dynamics, offering a work that fully embodies the spirit of wa (Japanese aesthetic sensibility).
Fusō Song: Japan MarchCharles Leroux
Charles Leroux was a musician and composer born in France in 1851, who also served as a captain in the French Army and received decorations.
His 1886 composition Fusōka: Japanese March reflects Japanese tradition and spirituality, expressing loyalty to the nation and the Emperor, and a wish for everlasting peace and prosperity.
Leroux also made significant contributions to musical culture, helping to improve the skills of army bands and establishing the Military Band Regulations.
Conveying the loyalty and spirit of service expected of every citizen through its grand melody, this piece is well suited for performance at ceremonies.
Variations on the Theme of “Kojo no Tsuki”Hirai Kōsaburō
Yasuzaburō Hirai created a wide range of works spanning both instrumental and vocal music, and he was deeply involved in music education, composing school songs for elementary and junior high schools as well.
Variations on the Theme of “Kōjō no Tsuki” is a set of variations Hirai composed based on Rentarō Taki’s celebrated piece “Kōjō no Tsuki.” In each variation, while drawing on the melody’s richly expressive character and offering technical challenges to enjoy, the work also reflects Hirai’s musical vision of reinterpreting Japanese traditional music for new audiences.
Japanese SuiteOdaka Naotada
Takayoshi Odaka, a leading composer of contemporary Japanese music, is known for a unique style that fuses elements of Western tradition and Japanese traditional music.
One of his representative works is the Japan Suite, premiered in 1936.
Composed with the intention of translating traditional Japanese music into the language of Western tonality and discovering new means of expression for the Japanese spirit, this piece conveys the composer’s deep desire to depict Japan’s landscapes and culture through music.
It is highly recommended for those who wish to feel a sense of “Japaneseness” or who want to explore Odaka’s musical world.
Sakura VariationsMiyagi Michio
Among the signature works of Michio Miyagi, a composer who greatly contributed to the modernization of traditional Japanese music, is The Sea in Spring for koto and shakuhachi.
But the piece often performed and loved on the piano is this Variations on “Sakura.” Composed in 1923, it is based on the old Japanese folk song Sakura Sakura and consists of eight variations.
By adopting the Western variation form, the piece conveys Miyagi’s distinctive musical world, portraying a variety of expressions on the theme of cherry blossoms, the symbol of spring in Japan.
Suite ‘Mirrors’ No. 3 ‘A Boat on the Ocean’Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel, influenced by Franz Liszt and Claude Debussy, elevated the possibilities of the piano to new heights.
His suite Miroirs was composed in 1905, and the third piece, Une barque sur l’océan (A Boat on the Ocean), was dedicated to the painter Paul Sordes.
With a flowing melody that glides like water and dynamic arpeggios that imitate the motion of waves, this work musically depicts the vast seascape and the quiet progress of a small boat—an exemplar of the brilliant beauty and transparency of French Impressionism.
Savor Ravel’s richly colored orchestration and delicate textures.