|
|
|
Japanese pop music these days is largely dominated by music created by computers and electronic instruments. However, Japan has traditional acoustic instruments which are still played by many, and show up from time to time in modern pop music. Among these Japanese instruments are the shakuhachi, shamisen and koto, which when played together in ensemble are call “sankyoku”.
Shakuchachi refers to a vertically held bamboo flute, which is played by blowing across the opening, and fingering five holes (four on front, one in back) tuned to a pentatonic scale. By only partially covering the holes and altering the angle at which the shakuhachi is blown, a full chromatic scale can be played, and in fact it is claimed that 64 tones in an octave can be attained, compared to the Western scale’s mere 12. The word shakuhachi literally means “1.8 shaku”, which refer to an archaic measurement slightly less than a foot. There are however various lengths of shakuhachi, and various prices, with price tags ranging from a few hundred dollars to over $100,000.
The shakuhachi, like a number cultural elements, came to Japan from China via Korea, although some trace the instrument back further to ancient Egypt. While its existence in Japan can be traced back as far as the sixth century, the shakuhachi became well known in the 1600s when the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks adopted the instrument as an alternative to chanting. The Fuke sect developed a series of songs which were considered meditations and called “honkyoku”. These became a sort of standard repertoire for the instrument. The monks were often former samurai turned itinerant preachers, who were called “komusu”. As a sign of their detachment from the physical world they wore large baskets over their heads. The “komusu” convinced the shogun to grant them the exclusive right to play shakuhachi and solicit alms with their music. In return they agreed not to carry swords, and to spy on behalf of the shogun. Legend has it that these monks redesigned the shakuhachi somewhat to make it longer and stouter, so that it might also be used as a club in emergencies. In 1868 the Meiji Restoration took place and the shogun system was abolished. Given that shakuhachi players were known to be spies, the instrument was actually outlawed for awhile. When it was permitted again, initially it was only allowed when played in ensemble with other instruments.
The shakuhachi retains some spiritual aura from its religious past, and today is most often heard in new age or healing music. It can also be found in music by Tangerine Dream, Peter Gabriel, Keiko Matsui, the Sugarcubes and Enigma. Oddly some of the best known shakuhachi players worldwide are non-Japanese, and include John Neptune and John Singer. Within Japan, perhaps the best known shakuhachi player is Katsuya Yokoyama, who famously performed in New York in 1967 at the premiere of Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps”, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Yokoyama, like many musicians playing traditional Japanese instruments, studied with his father and grandfather. If talk about shakuhachi raises a few snickers from your Japanese speaking friends, keep in mind that shakuhachi is also a commonly used slang for fellatio.
The shamisen is a three-stringed lute instrument, which looks something like a banjo with a long neck and is played with a large pick called a “bachi”. It also can also be traced back to China, but entered Japan via the southern islands of Okinawa, with which the instrument is often associated, in the late 1400’s. There are a number of variations of the instrument, some of which are called a “jamisen”, “jabisen” and “sanshin”. The drum face of the instrument's body is traditionally covered with skin from snakes, cats or dogs. The shamisen is traditionally played while sitting in “seiza” style (knees forward, sitting on ankles), which many people find physically demanding in itself.
The instrument has been played in a wide variety of settings, including by street performers, geisha, and as background music for kabuki theatre and for the Japanese puppet theatre called bunraku. Shamisen can also be heard in much Okinawan music, including famous works by Shokichi Kina, Rinken Band and Nenes. Shamisen music is often associated with Okinawa, but also with the northernmost part of Honshu island, where the popular playing style Tsugaru-jamisen was developed. The Boom's smash hit “Shima Uta” also features shamisen, as does the Soul Flower Union's much loved ballad “Mangestu No Yube”. The “pin-up” stars of the shamisen are the Yoshida Brothers, who often appear on TV. Other well known players are Shinichi Kinoshita, Michiro Sato and Hiromitsu Agatsuma (who has recorded with Bjork).
The koto is a 13-string zither with movable bridges, set on a hollowed piece of paulownia wood about six feet long in length. The instrument is generally played with finger picks, called “tsume” which are worn on the thumb, pointer and middle fingers. The shape of pick and plucking style depends on which “school” a player is from. There are various tunings used with kotom and most often an octave is found five strings above a base tone. There are also 17-string and 20-string versions of the instrument. The koto was adopted from China, but can be found in Japanese court music from more than a thousand years ago. The koto, like many ancient instruments, was mostly widely played by the blind, and many of the recognized historical masters of the instrument were also blind. In modern times the instrument is largely associated with women, who publicly often play standard pieces while dressed in kimono. For young women to learn koto from an early age is thought to be good breeding, much as piano playing has been regarded in the western world. The most famous standard pieces for koto are “Haru No Umi” (the spring sea), “Rokudan” (six steps) and “Sakura” (cherry blossom).
Koto is perhaps the most tradition bound of the three instruments, and involves schools, sensei (revered teachers), rituals, rankings, and licenses (which can cost thousands of dollars). Usually players from different schools do not play together. While these systems remain very much in place, there are increasingly players who step beyond the normal confines and innovate with their instruments. Michiyo Yagi, for example, is a highly regarded traditional koto player of the Sawai koto school. She also plays in the modern leaning ensemble Kokoo, who play non-standard repertoire by Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp and Godzilla theme composer Akira Ifukube, and has recorded with pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki. Additionally, Yagi plays in avant garde jazz settings with people like John Zorn, Zeena Perkins, Hoppy Kamiyama, Keiji Haino, and Bill Laswell.
Japanese traditional music today struggles to survive, as young people are much more likely to pick up an electric guitar or a sampler than a koto. However, given that these instruments represent an important part of Japanese culture, one hopes that tradition and innovation will find a happy balance, and that these instruments will remain widely played and enjoyed.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Send us a comment |
|
|
|
Print page |
|
 |
|
Get XML feeds |
|
 |
|
Get Javascript feeds |
|
|
