| Music in Japan is called ongaku, which
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| | jiuta or the earthy, classical style of
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| when directly translated can be taken to
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| | shamisen music and developed by blind
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| mean as sound for comfort. Although
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| | musicians Shirakawa Gunpachiro and
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| mostly identified nowadays by the outside
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| | Takahashi Chikuzan is the tsugaru-jamisen
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| world for its pop, "bubblegum" type of
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| | where there is more free improvisation
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| songs, Japanese music is essentially an
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| | and flashy fingerwork on the instrument.
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| eclectic combination of musical
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| | Another instrument most often used in
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| influences from all over the world. Much
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| | Japanese music is the taiko, or the
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| as it is steeped in local tradition and
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| | Japanese drum. This percussion instrument
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| history, the scales, instruments and
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| | dates as far back as the 6th and 7th
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| styles however were borrowed and loosely
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| | centuries, and during periods of war was
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| adapted from neighboring countries such
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| | used mainly to keep the enemies at bay
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| as China, Korea and Indonesia and has
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| | and to communicate commands to the
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| evolved to integrate Western musical
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| | warriors. The taiko comes in various
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| styles such as jazz, rock, ska and
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| | sizes and is usually an integral part of
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| reggae.
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| | the musical ensembles especially during
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| There is a definitive emphasis on words
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| | festivals. There are other traditional
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| rather than the instrumentation and one
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| | Japanese instruments like the biwa, a
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| East Asian musical scholar has attributed
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| | short-necked fretted lute; the ryuteki, a
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| this to the Japanese "love for
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| | flute made of bamboo and used in gagaku
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| storytelling and preoccupation with
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| | which is the style of music associated to
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| ritual." Some examples of this would be
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| | the Japanese Imperial Court; the kokyu, a
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| the shomyo, or Buddhist chanting and the
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| | string instrument played with a bow which
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| Japanese folk songs or min'yo. There are
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| | has a shape, sound and fabrication unique
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| all sorts of min'yo but can be generally
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| | to Japan unlike the shamisen. The kokyu
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| categorized according to occasions when
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| | has even figured in non-traditional
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| they are sung. There are work songs,
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| | genres such as Japanese jazz and blues.
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| religious songs, songs used during
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| | Developments in the late 19th and early
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| special gatherings like weddings,
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| | 20th centuries opened the ears of the
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| funerals and celebrations and songs for
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| | Japanese people to new genres such as the
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| children or lullabies. These songs are
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| | enka, the Japanese version of American
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| most often passed or transmitted through
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| | melodramatic country ballads, Western pop
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| family generations. One old form of
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| | or kayokyoku. Kayokyoku later on evolved
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| traditional music coming from the Ainu
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| | to J-pop or Japanese pop - a style with a
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| people in northern Japan would be the
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| | more definitive Western influence. With
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| yukar, or mimicry - a form of epic poetry
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| | rock and roll sweeping the whole world in
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| or epics in songs.
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| | the 1960s and 1970s, J-rock or Japanese
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| Most Japanese music genres even up to the
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| | rock invaded the Japanese music scene as
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| present make use of the shamisen, or a
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| | well. More noteworthy however is how
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| three-stringed musical instrument most
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| | Western classical music and jazz has
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| commonly referred to as the Japanese
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| | flourished in Japan to the point where
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| guitar. In kouta, or short songs
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| | the country has produced several famous
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| typically sung by geisha and nagauta or
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| | musicians like Sadao Watanabe for jazz,
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| long songs as those performed in Japanese
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| | composer Toru Takemitsu and conductor
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| theatres noh and kabuki, the shamisen
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| | Seiji Ozawa. Japan is also identified as
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| provides the backbone for
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| | one of the most important markets for
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| instrumentation. An evolution from the
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| | these types of music.
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