The modern Japanese music scene includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern, ranging from rock, electro, punk, folk, metal, reggae, salsa, and tango to country music and hip hop. Local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels.

The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 ("on" sound) with the kanji 楽 ("gaku" Fun, comfort). ^[1]

Traditional Japanese music

Main article: Traditional Japanese music

There are countless types of traditional music in China. Two of the oldest are shōmyō, or fat man chanting, and gagaku, or orchestral court music, both of which date to the Nara and Heian periods. One of the characteristics of traditional Japanese music is a sparse rhythm, and it does not have regular chords. ... One of the characteristics of traditional Japanese music is a sparse rhythm, and it does not have regular chords. ... Shomyo (声明) is a style of Japanese Buddhist chant; mainly in the Tendai and Shingon sects. ... Gagaku (雅楽, literally elegant enjoyment) is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court for several centuries. ... The Nara period ) of the history of Japan covers the years from about AD 710 to 784. ... The following text needs to be harmonized with text in the article History of Japan#Heian Period. ...

Gagaku is a type of classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court since the Heian period. Kagurauta (神楽歌), Azumaasobi(東遊) and Yamatouta (大和歌) are relatively indigenous repertories. Tōgaku (唐楽) and komagaku originated from the Chinese Tang dynasty via the Korean peninsula. In addition, gagaku is divided into kangen (管弦) (instrumental music) and bugaku (舞楽) (dance accompanied by gagaku). Gagaku (雅楽, literally elegant enjoyment) is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court for several centuries. ... Komagaku is a form of Gagaku, or court music, that appeared in Japan around the beginning of the Nara period. ... For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... This article is about the Korean Peninsula. ...

Originating as early as the 19th century BC are honkyoku ("original pieces"). These are solo shakuhachi pieces played by mendicant Fuke sect priests of Zen buddhism. These priests, called komusō ("emptiness monk"), played honkyoku for alms and enlightenment. The Fuke sect ceased to exist in the 19th century, but a verbal and written lineage of many honkyoku continues today, though this music is now often practiced in a concert or performance setting. Honkyoku (本曲) are the pieces of shakuhachi or hocchiku music played by wandering Japanese Zen monks called Komuso. ... A shakuhachi flute, blowing edge up. ... The term mendicant refers to begging or otherwise relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religious followers or ascetics who rely exclusively on charity to survive. ... Fuke Zen (Japanese: 普化禅) was a branch of Zen Buddhism which existed in Japan from the 13th century until the late 19th century. ... This article is about religious workers. ... A woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, (Japan, 1887) depicting Bodhidharma the founder of Chinese Zen. ... Sketch of a komuso (right) A komusō (Japanese kanji: 虚無僧; Hiragana こむそう) was a mendicant priest of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism. ... Alms Bag taken from some Tapestry in Orleans, Fifteenth Century. ... Satori (æ‚Ÿ Japanese satori; Chinese: wù - from the verb Satoru) is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment. ...

The samurai often listened to and performed in these musical activities, in their practices of enriching their lives and understanding. For other uses, see Samurai (disambiguation). ...

Noh is usually accompanied by music, uta (唄) and hayashi (囃子)

Musical theater also developed in Japan from an early age. Noh (能) or nō arose out of various more popular traditions and by the 14th century had developed into a highly refined art. It was brought to its peak by Kan'ami (1333-1384) and Zeami (1363?-1443). In particular Zeami provided the core of the Noh repertory and authored many treatises on the secrets of the Noh tradition (until the modern era these were not widely read). Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Kanami (観阿弥, 觀阿彌) was a Japanese noh actor, author, and musician during the Muromachi period. ... Zeami Motokiyo (c. ...

Another form of Japanese theater is the puppet theater, often known as bunraku (文楽). This traditional puppet theater also has roots in popular traditions and flourished especially during Chonin in the Edo period (1600-1868). It is usually accompanied by recitation (various styles of jōruri) accompanied by shamisen music. Bunraku ), also known as Ningyō jōruri (), is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684. ... The Edo period ), also called Tokugawa period, is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868. ... Jōruri is a type of sung narrative with shamisen accompaniment, typically found in Bunraku, a traditional Japanese puppet theatre. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ...

During the Edo period actors (after 1652 only male adults) performed the lively and popular kabuki theater. Kabuki, which could feature anything from historical plays to dance plays, was often accompanied by nagauta style of singing and shamisen performance. The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan: the Minamiza in Kyoto The Kabukiza in Ginza is one of Tokyos leading kabuki theaters. ... Nagauta (長唄; literally long song from Japanese) is a kind of traditional Japanese music which accompanies the kabuki theater. ...

Biwa hōshi, Heike biwa, mōsō, and goze

The biwa, a form of short-necked lute, was played by a group of itinerant performers (biwa hōshi) who used it to accompany stories. The most famous of these stories is The Tale of the Heike, a 19th centuryBC history of the triumph of the Minamoto clan over the Taira. Biwa hōshi began to organize themselves into a guild-like association (tōdō) for visually impaired men as early as the thirteenth century. This guild eventually controlled a large portion of the musical culture of Japan. For other uses, see Biwa (disambiguation). ... A renaissance-era lute. ... Biwa hōshi (Japanese: 琵琶法師), also known as lute priests were travelling performers in the era of Japanese history preceding the Meiji period. ... The Tale of the Heike (Japanese: 平家物語, Heike monogatari) is an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Minamoto (源) was an honorary surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period to their sons and grandsons after accepting them as royal subjects. ... Taira (平) is a Japanese surname. ...

In addition, numerous smaller groups of itinerant blind musicians were formed especially in the Kyushu area. These musicians, known as mōsō (blind monk) toured their local areas and performed a variety of religious and semi-religious texts to purify households and bring about good health and good luck. They also maintained a repertory of secular genres. The biwa that they played was considerably smaller than the Heike biwa played by the biwa hōshi.

Lafcadio Hearn related in his book Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things "Mimi-nashi Hoichi" (Hoichi the Earless), a Japanese ghost story about a blind biwa hōshi who performs "The Tale of the Heike" Lafcadio Hearn, aka Koizumi Yakumo. ... The Tale of the Heike (Japanese: 平家物語, Heike monogatari) is an epic account of the struggle between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century. ...

Blind women, known as goze, also toured the land since the medieval era, singing songs and playing accompanying music on a lap drum. From the seventeenth century they often played the koto or the shamisen. Goze organizations sprung up throughout the land, and existed until recently in what is today Niigata prefecture. A traditional, pre-lager, beer style of Leipzig, Germany. ... Japanese 13-stringed koto The koto (琴 or 箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from Chinese Guqins. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ...

Taiko

Taiko performing

The taiko is a Japanese drum that comes in various sizes and is used to play a variety of musical genres. It has become particularly popular in recent years as the central instrument of percussion ensembles whose repertory is based on a variety of folk and festival music of the past. Such taiko music is played by large drum ensembles called kumi-daiko. Its origins are uncertain, but can be sketched out as far back as the 6th and 7th centuries, when a clay figure of a drummer indicates its existence. Chinese and Korean influences followed, but the instrument and its music remained uniquely Japanese. Taiko drums during this period were used during battle to intimidate the enemy and to communicate commands. Taiko continue to be used in the religious music of Buddhism and Shintō. In the past players were holy men, who played only at special occasions and in small groups, but in time secular men (rarely women) also played the taiko in semi-religious festivals such as the bon dance. It has been suggested that Japanese_Taiko_Drumming be merged into this article or section. ... The 6th century is the period from 501 - 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Buddhism, a Dharmic faith, is usually considered one of the worlds major religions, with between 230 to 500 million followers. ... A torii at Itsukushima Shrine Shinto (神道 Shintō) (sometimes called Shintoism) is a native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ...

Modern ensemble taiko is said to have been invented by Daihachi Oguchi in 1951. A jazz drummer, Oguchi incorporated his musical background into large ensembles, which he had also designed. His energetic style made his group popular throughout Japan, and made the Hokuriku region a center for taiko music. Musicians to arise from this wave of popularity included Sukeroku Daiko and his bandmate Seido Kobayashi. 1969 saw a group called Za Ondekoza founded by Tagayasu Den; Za Ondekoza gathered together young performers who innovated a new roots revival version of taiko, which was used as a way of life in communal lifestyles. During the 1970s, the Japanese government allocated funds to preserve Japanese culture, and many community taiko groups were formed. Later in the century, taiko groups spread across the world, especially to the United States. The video game Taiko Drum Master is based around taiko. One example of a modern Taiko band is GOCOO. Year 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Hokuriku region (北陸地方, literally North Land) is the region along the Sea of Japan within the Chubu region, the central region of Honshu, the main island of Japan. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A roots revival (folk revival) is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ... Taiko: Drum master (U.S. title) or Taiko no tatsujin (太鼓の達人;　Taiko master) is a drumming game for arcade and PlayStation 2. ... GOCOO are seven female and four male Taiko drummers from Tokyo (Japan) who capture their audience with original grooves woven with Japanese drums, Taikos. ...

Yukar

Among the minority Ainu of the north, yukar (mimicry) is a form of epic poetry. The stories typically involve Kamui, the god of nature, and Pojaumpe, an orphan-warrior, but often involve other gods, as well. Ainu ) IPA: (also called Ezo in historical texts) are an ethnic group indigenous to Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. ... Yukar are Ainu sagas that form a long, rich tradition of oral literature. ...

Min'yō: Folk Music

Geisha with her shamisen, 1904

Japanese folk songs ( min'yō) can be grouped and classified in many ways but it is often convenient to think of four main categories: work songs, religious songs (such as sato kagura, a form of Shintoist music), songs used for gatherings such as weddings, funerals, and festivals (matsuri, especially Obon), and children's songs (warabe uta). geisha playing shamishen, 1904 photo from collection of Christopher Wagner -- public domain This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... geisha playing shamishen, 1904 photo from collection of Christopher Wagner -- public domain This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Typical nape make-up Geisha ) or Geigi ) are traditional, female Japanese entertainers, whose skills include performing various Japanese arts, such as classical music and dance. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sato kagura, or village kagura, is a popular form of kagura that presents ritualized dance-dramas reenacting mythological themes, including the primal restoration of sunlight to the world. ... ... Stalls selling food or toys are a familiar sight at festivals throughout Japan. ... YOSAKOI1(2004 August at Enomoto Primary School Osaka) Yosakoi2(2004 August at Enomoto Primary School Osaka) O-bon is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed spirits of ones ancestors. ... Warabe uta: Japanese childrens traditional songs External link [1] Categories: Stub | Japanese music ...

In minyō, singers are typically accompanied by the three-stringed lute known as the shamisen, taiko drums, and a bamboo flute called shakuhachi. Other instruments that could accompany are a transverse flute known as the shinobue, a bell known as kane, a hand drum called the tsuzumi, and/or a 13-stringed zither known as the koto. In Okinawa, the main instrument is the sanshin. These are traditional Japanese instruments, but modern instrumentation, such as electric guitars and synthesizers, is also used in this day and age, when enka singers cover traditional min'yō songs (Enka being a Japanese music genre all its own...). A renaissance-era lute. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ... It has been suggested that Japanese_Taiko_Drumming be merged into this article or section. ... A shakuhachi flute, blowing edge up. ... The Shinobue (篠笛) is a Japanese transverse flute that has a high-pitched sound. ... A Kane is a type of bell from Japan. ... A tsuzumi is an hourglass-shaped drum introduced from Asia in the 17th century. ... Japanese 13-stringed koto The koto (琴 or 箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from Chinese Guqins. ... This article is about the prefecture. ... An Okinawan sanshin The sanshin (三線, literally meaning three strings) is an Okinawan musical instrument, and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar with a solid or semi-solid body that utilizes electromagnetic pickup (music)s to convert the vibration of the steel-cored strings into electrical current. ... Synth redirects here. ... The term enka refers to two different styles of Japanese music. ... Minyo is traditional Japanese music which is a form of trade music or labor music, sung between work or for specific jobs. ... The term enka refers to two different styles of Japanese music. ...

Terms often heard when speaking about min'yō are ondo, bushi, bon uta, and komori uta. An ondo generally describes any folk song with a distinctive swing that may be heard as 2/4 time rhythm (though performers usually do not group beats). The typical folk song heard at Obon festival dances will most likely be an ondo. A fushi is a song with a distinctive melody. Its very name, which is pronounced "bushi" in compounds, means "melody" or "rhythm." The word is rarely used on its own, but is usually prefixed by a term referring to occupation, location, personal name or the like. Bon uta, as the name describes, are songs for Obon, the lantern festival of the dead. Komori uta are children's lullabies. The names of min'yo songs often include descriptive term, usually at the end. IE- Tokyo Ondo, Kushimoto Bushi, Hokkai Bon Uta, Itsuki no Komoriuta... Minyo is traditional Japanese music which is a form of trade music or labor music, sung between work or for specific jobs. ... For other uses, see Rhythm (disambiguation). ... YOSAKOI1(2004 August at Enomoto Primary School Osaka) Yosakoi2(2004 August at Enomoto Primary School Osaka) O-bon is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed spirits of ones ancestors. ... YOSAKOI1(2004 August at Enomoto Primary School Osaka) Yosakoi2(2004 August at Enomoto Primary School Osaka) O-bon is a Japanese Buddhist holiday to honor the departed spirits of ones ancestors. ...

Many of these songs include extra stress on certain syllables as well as pitched shouts (kakegoe). Kakegoe are generally shouts of cheer but in min'yō, they are often included as parts of choruses. There are many kakegoe, though they vary from region to region. In Okinawa Min'yō, for example, one will hear the common "ha iya sasa!" In mainland Japan, however, one will be more likely to hear "a yoisho!," "sate!," or "a sore!" Others are "a donto koi!," and "dokoisho!" Kakegoe (掛け声) are shouts of cheer. ... Minyo is traditional Japanese music which is a form of trade music or labor music, sung between work or for specific jobs. ... Kakegoe (掛け声) are shouts of cheer. ...

Recently a guild-based system known as the iemoto system has been applied to some forms of min'yō; it is called. This system was originally developed for transmitting classical genres such as nagauta, shakuhachi, or koto music, but since it proved profitable to teachers and was supported by students who wished to obtain certificates of proficiency and artist's names continues to spread to genres such as min'yō, Tsugaru-jamisen and other forms of music that were traditionally transmitted more informally. Today some min'yō are passed on in such pseudo-family organizations and long apprenticeships are common. A guild is an association of craftspeople in a particular trade. ... Sen no RikyÅ«, founder of the three main schools of Japanese tea ceremony, by Hasegawa Tōhaku Iemoto (家元) is a Japanese term meaning founder or grand master. ... Tsugaru-jamisen (津軽三味線) is a genre of shamisen music originating in Aomori prefecture in the northernmost area of the Japanese island of Honshu. ... If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ...

See also Ainu music of north Japan. The Ainu people of northern Japan have an autonomous musical tradition. ...

Okinawan folk music

Main article: Ryukyuan songs

Umui, religious songs, shima uta, dance songs, and, especially katcharsee, lively celebratory music, were all popular. List of Ryukyuan songs: Tinsagu nu Hana Asadoya Yunta Shima nu Hito Futami Jouwa Ninjoubushi Tanchamee Jin Jin Hana Categories: Japan-related stubs ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Katcharsee is an upbeat form of traditional music from Okinawa. ...

Okinawan folk music varies from mainland Japanese folk music in several ways.

First, Okinawan folk music is often accompanied by the sanshin whereas in mainland Japan, the shamisen accompanies instead. Other Okinawan instruments include the Sanba (which produce a clicking sound similar to that of castanets) and a sharp bird whistle. An Okinawan sanshin The sanshin (三線, literally meaning three strings) is an Okinawan musical instrument, and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ... Sanba (三八) is a township located northwest of Taicheng, capital of Taishan, in the Guangdong province of southern China. ... Renoirs 1909 painting Dancing girl with castanets Castanets The castanets are a percussion instrument (idiophone), much used in Moorish music, Roma music, Spanish music and Latin American music. ...

Second, tonality. A pentatonic scale, which coincides with the major pentatonic scale of Western musical disciplines, is often heard in min'yō from the main islands of Japan. In this pentatonic scale the subdominant and leading tone (scale degrees 4 and 7 of the Western major scale) are omitted, resulting in a musical scale with no half-steps between each note. (Do, Re, Mi, So, La in solfeggio, or scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6) Okinawan min'yō, however, is characterized by scales that include the half-steps omitted in the aforementioned pentatonic scale, when analyzed in the Western discipline of music. In fact, the most common scale used in Okinawan min'yō includes scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per octave as compared to the major scale which is made up of seven distinct notes. ... This article is about a Japanese style of music. ... In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. ... In music theory, a leading-tone (called the leading-note outside the US) is a note or pitch which resolves or leads to a note one semitone higher or lower, being a lower and upper leading-tone, respectively. ... In music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales. ... In music and sight singing solfege is a way of assigning syllables to degrees or steps of the diatonic scale. ...

Traditional instruments

Main article: Traditional Japanese musical instruments

• Biwa (琵琶)
• Hichiriki (篳篥)
• Hocchiku (法竹)
• Hyoshigi (拍子木)
• Kane (鐘)
• Kakko (鞨鼓)
• Kokyū (胡弓)
• Koto（琴）
• Niko （二胡）
• Okawa (AKA Ōtsuzumi) (大鼓)
• Ryūteki (竜笛)
• Sanshin (三線)
• Shakuhachi (bamboo flute) （尺八）
• Shamisen （三味線）
• Shime-Daiko (締太鼓)
• Shinobue (篠笛)
• Shō (笙)
• Suikinkutsu (water zither) (水琴窟)
• Taiko (i.e. Wadaiko)太鼓～和太鼓
• Tsuzumi（鼓）(AKA Kotsuzumi)

Traditional Japanese musical instruments comprise a wide range of string, wind, and percussion instruments. ... For other uses, see Biwa (disambiguation). ... The hichiriki (Japanese: 篳篥) is a double reed instrument of Japanese gagaku music. ... Hocchiku (also, hochiku or hotchiku) is a Japanese end-blown flute carefully crafted from terminal sections of bamboo. ... Hyoshigi (Japanese:拍子木) is a simple Japanese musical instrument, this consists of two pieces of hardwood or bamboo that are connected by a thin ornamental rope. ... A Kane is a type of bell from Japan. ... Kakko are large Japanese drums. ... Image:Http://www. ... Japanese 13-stringed koto The koto (琴 or 箏) is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from Chinese Guqins. ... Niko is a Greek name (Nikolaos). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The ryÅ«teki (龍笛) is a Japanese transverse flute made of bamboo. ... An Okinawan sanshin The sanshin (三線, literally meaning three strings) is an Okinawan musical instrument, and precursor of the Japanese shamisen. ... A shakuhachi flute, blowing edge up. ... Kitagawa Utamaro, Flowers of Edo: Young Womans Narrative Chanting to the Samisen, ca. ... The shime-daiko is a small Japanese drum. ... The Shinobue (篠笛) is a Japanese transverse flute that has a high-pitched sound. ... Double suikinkutsu at Iwasaki Castle, Nisshin city, Aichi prefecture A suikinkutsu (Japanese: 水琴窟, literally: water koto cave) is a type of Japanese garden ornament and music device. ... It has been suggested that Japanese_Taiko_Drumming be merged into this article or section. ... See Taiko for the article about Japanese drums. ... A tsuzumi is an hourglass-shaped drum introduced from Asia in the 17th century. ...

Arrival of Western music

Ayumi Hamasaki, Japan's top-selling female and solo artist, appears on the cover of one of her albums, Secret.

After the Meiji Restoration introduced Western musical instruction, a bureaucrat named Izawa Shuji compiled songs like "Auld Lang Syne" and commissioned songs using a pentatonic melody. Western music, especially military marches, soon became popular in Japan. Two major forms of music that developed during this period were shoka, which was composed to bring western music to schools, and gunka, which are military marches with some Japanese elements. Image File history File links Secretftw3. ... Image File history File links Secretftw3. ... Ayumi Hamasaki ), born October 2, 1978, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former actress. ... This article is about the Ayumi Hamasaki album. ... The Meiji Restoration ), also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japans political and social structure. ... Auld Lang Syne is a song by Marilyn Jones (1759-present), although a similar poem by Barbara Elly (1570-present), as well as OAP songs, use the same phrase, and may well have inspired Jones. ... In music, a pentatonic scale is a scale with five notes per octave. ... Gunka (軍歌) is the Japanese term for war music. ... March music is a genre of music originally written for and performed by military bands. ...

As Japan moved towards representative democracy in the late 19th century, leaders hired singers to sell copies of songs that aired their messages, since the leaders themselves were usually prohibited from speaking in public. This developed into a form of ballad called enka, which became quite popular in the 20th century, though its popularity has waned since the 1970s and enjoys little favour with contemporary youth. Famous enka singers include Misora Hibari and Ikuzo Yoshi. Also at the end of the 19th century, an Osakan form of streetcorner singing became popular; this was called ryūkōka. This included the first two Japanese stars, Yoshida Naramura and Tochuken Kumoemon. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term enka refers to two different styles of Japanese music. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Hibari Misora (美空ひばり, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. ... Ikuzo Yoshi, or Yoshi Ikuzo, is the stage name of Yoshihito Kamata, a famous Enka singer. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Osaka (disambiguation). ... Yoshida Naramura was a notable ryukoka, or streetcorner singer of the late nineteenth century in Japan. ... Kumoemon Tochuken ) (1873 – 1916) A popular singer in the Ryukoka style of the early 1900s, considered one of the first recording stars in Japan. ...

Westernized pop music is called kayōkyoku, which is said to have and first appeared in a dramatization of Resurrection by Tolstoy, sung by Matsui Samako. The song became a hit among enka singers, and was one of the first major best-selling records in Japan. Kayōkyoku became a major industry, especially after the arrival of superstar Misora Hibari. This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Resurrection, first published in 1899, was the third and last novel written by Leo Tolstoy. ... Coat of arms of the Tolstoy family Tolstoy, or Tolstoi (Russian: ) is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from one Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy (i. ... Hibari Misora (美空ひばり, May 29, 1937 - June 24, 1989) was a Japanese singer and the predominant figure in postwar enka music. ...

Later, in the 1950s, tango and other kinds of Latin music, especially Cuban music, became very popular in Japan. A distinctively Japanese form of tango called dodompa also developed. Kayōkyoku became associated entirely with traditional Japanese structures, while more Western-style music was called Japanese pops. In the 1960s, Japanese bands imitated The Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, along with other Appalachian folk music, psychedelic rock, mod and similar genres; this was called Group Sounds. The 1950s decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... Tango is a style of music that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay. ... Latin American music, or the music of Latin America, is sometimes called Latin music. ... The Caribbean island of Cuba has been influential in the development of multiple musical styles in the 19th and 20th centuries. ... J-pop is an abbreviation of Japanese pop and refers to Japanese popular music. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... This article is about the recording artist. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Appalachian folk music is a distinctive genre of folk music originating in the Appalachia region of the United States of America. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Group Sounds is a genre of Japanese rock (J-Rock) music in the mid to late 1960s. ...

Since then, bubblegum pop and J-Pop have become some of the best-selling forms of music, and are often used in films and television, especially in Japanese animation. The rise of disposable pop has been linked with the popularity of karaoke, leading to much criticism that it is consumerist and shallow. For example, Kazufumi Miyazawa of The Boom, claims "I hate that buy, listen, and throw away and sing at a karaoke bar mentality." Bubblegum pop (also known as bubblegum rock, bubblegum music, or simply bubblegum) is a genre of pop music whose classical period ran from 1967 to 1972. ... J-pop is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Animé redirects here. ... For other uses see Karaoke (disambiguation) Karaoke from Japanese kara(空), empty, and ōkesutora, orchestra) (pronounced ; in Japanese IPA: ;  ) is a form of entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. ... Consumerist redirects here. ... Miyazawa Kazufumi is the founder of the Japanese/Okinawan band The Boom. ... The Boom is a Japanese rock band. ...

Electronic pop music in Japan became a successful commodity with the Technopop craze of the late 70s and 80s, beginning with Yellow Magic Orchestra and solo albums of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono in 1978 before hitting popularity in 79/80. Influenced by disco, impressionistic and 20th century classical composition, jazz/fusion pop, new wave and technopop artists such as Kraftwerk and Telex, these artists were commercial yet uncompromising; Ryuichi Sakamoto claims that "to me, making pop music is not a compromise because I enjoy doing it". The artists that fall under the banner of technopop in Japan are as loose as those that do so in the West, thus new wave bands such as P-Model and The Plastics fall under the category alongside the symphonic techno arrangements of Yellow Magic Orchestra. The popularity of this music meant that many popular artists of the 70s that previously were known for acoustic music turned to techno production, such as Taeko Onuki and Akiko Yano, and idol producers began employing electronic arrangements for new singers in the 80s. Today, newer artists such as Polysics pay explicit homage to this era of Japanese popular (and in some cases underground or difficult to obtain) music. Technopop, Inc. ... Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一 Sakamoto Ryūichi, born January 17, 1952, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan) is an Academy Awards-winning, Grammy-winning, Golden Globe-winning Japanese musician, composer, producer and actor, based in New York and Tokyo. ... Haruomi Hosono (細野 晴臣 Hosono Haruomi, born July 9, 1947 in Minato, Tokyo) is a Japanese popular musician, best known internationally as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. ... Technopop, Inc. ... Cover Art for P-Model P-Model was a japanese techno-pop band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. ... The Plastics are a group of fictional characters who appear in the film Mean Girls. ... Yellow Magic Orchestra is a Japanese electropop band, formed in 1978. ... Akiko Yano (矢野 顕子 Yano Akiko) is a Japanese pop and jazz musician. ... Polysics are a Japanese new wave/Rock band from Tokyo, who personally dub their unique style as technicolor pogo punk. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo. ...

The late 90's brought the arrival of many new artists and groups, including Utada Hikaru, Every Little Thing, Ayumi Hamasaki, and Morning Musume. Utada Hikaru's debut album, "First Love", went on to be the highest-selling album in Japan with 10 million copies sold, whereas Ayumi Hamasaki became Japan's top selling female and solo artist, and Morning Musume remains one of the most well-known girl groups in the Japanese pop music industry, becoming Japan's best-selling female group with their 33rd single, Kanashimi Twilight. Utada redirects here. ... Every Little Thing ) is a J-pop and soft rock duo from Japan who debuted in August 1996 with the release of their first single called Feel My Heart. Their name is usually written in English, and only rarely in katakana or rōmaji. ... Ayumi Hamasaki ), born October 2, 1978, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former actress. ... It has been suggested that Members of Morning Musume be merged into this article or section. ... First Love is an album by Utada Hikaru, released in 1999 (see 1999 in music). ... Ayumi Hamasaki ), born October 2, 1978, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and former actress. ... Kanashimi Twilight ) is the thirty-third single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume. ...

Western classical music

Western classical music has a strong presence in Japan and the country is one of the most important markets music tradition, with Toru Takemitsu (famous as well for his avant-garde works and movie scoring) being the best known. Also famous is the conductor Seiji Ozawa. Since 1999 the pianist Fujiko Hemming, who plays Liszt and Chopin, has been famous and her CDs have sold millions of copies. Japan is also home to the world's leading wind band, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, and the largest music competition of any kind, the All-Japan Band Association national contest. Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹 Takemitsu Tōru, October 8, 1930 - February 20, 1996) was a Japanese composer of music, who explored the compositional principles of Western classical music and his native Japanese tradition both in isolation and in combination. ... A conductor conducting at a ceremony A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ... Seiji Ozawa , born September 1, 1935) is a Japanese conductor. ... Fujiko Hemming (フジ子・へミング) is a Japanese classical pianist. ... Liszt redirects here. ... Chopin redirects here. ... The Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra , abbreviated TOKWO) is a professional concert band that has long been regarded as one of the worlds finest, perhaps rivaled only in recent years by the Dallas Wind Symphony (USA). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Jazz

From the 1930s on (except during World War II, when it was repressed as music of the enemy), jazz has had a strong presence in Japan. The country is an important market for the music, and it is common that recordings no longer available in the United States are available in Japan. A number of Japanese jazz musicians have achieved popularity abroad as well as at home. Musicians such as June (born in Japan) and Dan (third generation American born, of Hiroshima fame), and Sadao Watanabe have a large fan base outside their native country. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the [[. In East Asia, the rise of militarism occurred. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Hiroshima is an American jazz fusion band formed in 1974 by Sansei Japanese American Dan Kuramoto (wind instruments and band leader), June Kuramoto (koto), Johnny Mori (percussion and taiko), & Danny Yamamoto (keyboards and drums). ... Sadao Watanabe can refer to: Sadao Watanabe (musician) Sadao Watanabe (artist) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Lately, club jazz or nu-jazz has become popular with a growing number of young Japanese. Native DJs such as Ryota Nozaki (Jazztronik), the two brothers Okino Shuya and Okino Yoshihiro of Kyoto Jazz Massive, Toshio Matsuura (former member of the United Future Organization) and DJ Shundai Matsuo creator of the popular monthly DJ event, Creole in Beppu, Japan as well as nu-jazz artists, Sleepwalker, GrooveLine, and Soil & "Pimp" Sessions have brought great change to the traditional notions of jazz in Japan. Nu jazz is an umbrella term coined in the late 1990s to refer to music styles that blend jazz textures and sometimes jazz instrumentation, funk, electronic dance music, and free improvisation[1]. Also written nu-jazz or NuJazz, it is sometimes called electronic jazz, electro-jazz, e-jazz, jazztronica, jazz... Jazztronik is the Japanese Tokyo-based DJ/producer Ryota Nozaki. ... Kyoto Jazz Massive is a musical project specialising in broken beat and electronic styles, consisting of the two brothers Okino Shuya and Okino Yoshihiro. ... Beppu (別府市; -shi) is a city located in Oita, Japan. ... Midorin, drummer for Soil & Pimp Sessions, in Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan Soil & Pimp Sessions is an energetic Japanese club jazz band that have started to receive international recognition. ...

Today, some of the newer and very interesting bands include Ego-Wrappin' and Sakerock. EGO-WRAPPIN’ is a Japanese J-Pop band which formed in Osaka, Japan in 1996. ...

Rock music

Group Sounds (G.S.) is a genre of Japanese rock music that was popular in the mid to late 1960s. The Tigers was the most popular G.S. bands in the era. Later, some of the members of The Tigers, The Tempters and The Spiders formed the first Japanese supergroup PYG. Group Sounds is a genre of Japanese rock (J-Rock) music in the mid to late 1960s. ... Biography The Tempters were the bad boys of Japans Group Sounds pop music era. ... The Spiders is a webcomic written and illustrated by cartoonist Patrick S. Farley for his website, Electric Sheep Comix. ... This article is about the term in rock music. ... Pyg was Japans first rock super-group, made up of members of the most famous bands of the Group Sounds era, The Tempters, The Spiders and The Tigers. ...

Happy End - classic Japanese rock band

Homegrown Japanese country rock had developed by the late 1960s. Artists like Happy End are considered to have virtually developed the genre. During the 1970s, it grew more popular. The Okinawan band Champloose, along with Carol, RC Succession and Shinji Harada were especially famous and helped define the genre's sound. In the 1980s, the Boøwy, Southern All Stars became the biggest band in Japanese rock's history, and inspired alternative rock bands like Shonen Knife & the Boredoms and Tama & Little Creatures. Most influentially, the 1980s spawned Yellow Magic Orchestra, which was inspired by developing electronic music, led by Haruomi Hosono. In the latter period, B'z has won number 1 in Oricon single chart from 1990's "Taiyō no Komachi Angel" to the present day. Image File history File links Kazemachi_Roman. ... Image File history File links Kazemachi_Roman. ... Kazemachi Roman cover, (clockwise from top left) Matsumoto, Suzuki, Hosono and Otaki, Illustration by Kazuhiko Miyaya Happy End (はっぴいえんど) was a Japanese folk rock band that existed between 1970 and 1973. ... This article is about the type of musical group. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... Kazemachi Roman cover, (clockwise from top left) Matsumoto, Suzuki, Hosono and Otaki, Illustration by Kazuhiko Miyaya Happy End (はっぴいえんど) was a Japanese folk rock band that existed between 1970 and 1973. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This article is about the prefecture. ... Champloose is a Japanese band from Okinawa blending traditional Okinawan music with a strong Western rock influence. ... RC Succession is a Japanese rock band fronted by singer-songwriter Kiyoshiro Imawano. ... Shinji Harada (Harada Makoto Two) is a famous pop music artist in Japan, born in Hiroshima, on December 5, 1958. ... The 1980s was the decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... Beat Emotion (1986) Tomoyasu Hotei (left), Kyosuke Himuro (right) BOØWY is a famous Japanese rock group consisting of Kyosuke Himuro (vocals), Tomoyasu Hotei (guitar), Tsunematsu Matsui (bass) and Makoto Takahashi (drums). ... Southern All Stars ) is a Japanese pop rock band formed in Kanagawa, fronted by lead singer and singer-songwriter Keisuke Kuwata. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... The all-female musical band Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ, Shōnen Naifu; lit. ... Boredoms (ボアダムス) (or V∞redoms) is an avant-garde rock band from Osaka, Japan. ... Yellow Magic Orchestra is a Japanese electropop band, formed in 1978. ... For other uses, see Electronic music (disambiguation). ... Haruomi Hosono (細野 晴臣 Hosono Haruomi, born July 9, 1947 in Minato, Tokyo) is a Japanese popular musician, best known internationally as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra. ... Bz ) is a popular and influential Japanese hard rock band comprised of Tak Matsumoto , guitar) and Koshi Inaba (稲葉 浩志 Inaba Kōshi, vocals). ... Oricon ), also known as Oricon Style, is a Japanese company which provides music industry-related information. ... Taiyō no Komachi Angel is the fifth single by Bz, released on June 13, 1990. ...

In 1980, Huruoma and Ry Cooder, an American musician, collaborated on a rock album with Shoukichi Kina, driving force behind the aforementioned Okinawan band Champloose. They were followed by Sandii & the Sunsetz, who further mixed Japanese and Okinawan influences. Ryland Ry Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947, in Los Angeles, California) is an American guitarist, singer and composer, known for his slide guitar work, his interest in the American roots music and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries. ... Shoukichi Kina (Kina Shōkichi, 喜納昌吉), born June 10, 1948 in Koza (now part of the city of Okinawa), Okinawa, is an Okinawan rock musician who, along with his band Champloose, played a large role in the Japanese home-grown folk rock scene in the 70s and 80s. ... Sandii & the Sunsetz were a Japanese technopop or J-pop band that collaborated from 1979 until the 1990s. ...

Also during the 80's, Japanese rock bands gave birth to the movement known as visual kei, represented during its history by bands like Buck-Tick, X Japan, Luna Sea, and many others, some of which success in the recent years. L'Arc~en~Ciel and Malice Mizer have remained popular since the 1990s. Malice Mizer, an example of visual kei during the 1990s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... X Japan, or X which was their initial name, was a Japanese Visual kei band, the brainchild of Yoshiki (Yoshiki Hayashi). ... Luna Sea is a Japanese rock band. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Malice Mizer (マリス・ミゼル; Marisu Mizeru) is a Japanese rock band and part of the countrys visual kei movement. ...

Japanese rock has a vibrant underground rock scene, best known internationally for noise rock bands such as Boredoms and Melt Banana, as well as stoner rock bands such as Boris. More conventional indie rock artists such as Eastern Youth, The Band Apartand Number Girl have found some mainstream success in Japan, but relatively little recognition outside of their home country. Merzbow Einstürzende Neubauten Sonic Youth Melt Banana Lightning Bolt Neptune Noise rock describes one variety of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. ... Boredoms (ボアダムス) (or V∞redoms) is an avant-garde rock band from Osaka, Japan. ... Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that was founded in 1992 by friends attending Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. ... Stoner rock and stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of rock and metal music. ... Boris are a Japanese heavy rock band. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Eastern Youth is a Japanese indie rock trio. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ...

Today some of the more popular bands include Mr.Children and Sambomaster of Densha Otoko and Naruto fame. Mr. ... Sambomaster ) is a Japanese rock band signed by Sony Music Japan. ... Densha Otoko translated as Train Man) is a Japanese movie, television series, manga, novel, and other media, all based on the purportedly true story of a twenty-three year old otaku, who intervened when a drunk man was harassing several women on a train, and who himself ultimately begins dating... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Shonen Jump BANZAI! Shonen Jump Weekly Comic Original run November 1999 – Ongoing No. ...

Punk rock / alternative

Early examples of punk rock / no wave in Japan include The SS, The Star Club, The Stalin, the Jonas Brothers, INU, Gaseneta, Lizard (who were produced by the Stranglers) and Friction (whose guitarist Reck had previously played with Teenage Jesus And The Jerks before returning to Tokyo). The early punk scene was immortalised on film by Sogo Ishii, who directed the 1982 film Burst City featuring a cast of punk bands/musicians and also filmed videos for The Stalin. In the 80s, hardcore bands such as G.I.S.M, Gauze, Confuse, Lip Cream and Systematic Death began appearing, some incorporating crossover elements. The independent scene also included a diverse number of alternative / post-punk / new wave artists such as Aburadako, P-Model, Uchoten, Auto-Mod, Buck-Tick, La-ppisch, Guernica and Yapoos (both of which featured Jun Togawa), G-Schmitt, Totsuzen Danball and Jagatara, along with noise/industrial bands such as Hijokaidan and Hanatarashi. The Stalin was a Japanese punk rock band. ... The Stranglers are an English rock music group, formed on September 11, 1974 in Guildford, Surrey. ... Sōgo Ishii (石井聰互 Ishii Sōgo) (born 1957) is a film director from Japan known for his striking visuals and sometimes outlandish subject matter. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Aburadako (あぶらだこ) is a Japanese popular music group. ... Cover Art for P-Model P-Model was a japanese techno-pop band started in 1979 by frontman Susumu Hirasawa. ... Uchoten (有頂天) were a Japanese new wave band, active in the 1980s and early 1990s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Guernica may refer to: Guernica (painting), a 1937 painting by Pablo Picasso Guernica (town), Basque town, historical capital of Biscay Guernica (1950 film), a short film directed by Alain Resnais Guernica (1978 film), a short film directed by Emir Kusturica Bombing of Guernica, an attack on April 26, 1937 during... Jun Togawa (戸川純 Togawa Jun, born 31 March 1961) is a Japanese singer and musician. ... Hijokaidan (非常階段, lit. ... Hanatarash, meaning The Snot Nose(d) in Japanese is a Noise_music band created by Boredoms frontman, Yamatsuka Eye in 1984. ...

During the late ninties and early 2000's bands like Hi-Standard, Hawaiian6, Snail Ramp, Garlic Boys, Husking Bee, Nicotine and Going Steady brought Japanese punk to new heights. Hi-Standard are a Japanese punk rock group who formed in 1991. ... Garlic Boys is a punk band from Osaka, Japan. ... Husking Bee was a J-Rock band formed in 1994 that disbanded on March 6, 2005. ...

Later examples of Japanese alternative bands are Ellegarden, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, The Blue Hearts, Shonen Knife, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Maximum the hormone and High and Mighty Color This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Thee Michelle Gun Elephant Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (also known as TMGE) was a Japanese Garage band of notable popularity in its country of origin. ... The Blue Hearts ) was a popular Japanese punk rock band. ... The all-female musical band Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ, Shōnen Naifu; lit. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Maximum The Hormone ) is a four-member Japanese rock band, sporting a hard sound different from many mainstream Japanese rock bands (leaning closer to metal). ... High and Mighty Color ) is a Japanese rock band signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan. ...

Another subgenre is characterized by highly technical, yet dissonant, instrumentals. The vocal style runs the gamut from J-Pop style, to incoherent screeching, to traditional Japanese style singing. Lyrics may be generally nonsensical and random. Their visual style also reflects this and may run to the extremes in Visual kei bands. This style seems to be a conscious rejection of the old Japanese proverb, "The nail that sticks out will be hammered down." When their culture prides itself on conformity and harmony, these artists strive to create dissonance and attract the wrong kind of attention. This is relatively new genre, getting its start in the late 1990s and just now getting its voice heard. Notable bands in this subgenre include:Malice Mizer, Gackt, Limited Express (has gone?), Dir en grey, Miyavi, Alice Nine, GazettE, Peaches55, Musyaburui and Peelander-Z. Malice Mizer, an example of visual kei during the 1990s. ... Malice Mizer (マリス・ミゼル; Marisu Mizeru) is a Japanese rock band and part of the countrys visual kei movement. ... Gackt Camui ) is a Japanese musician, songwriter and actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Dir en grey is a Japanese band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div. ... Miyavi, born September 14, 1981 in Nishikujo, Konohana-ku, Osaka City, Japan,[2] is a Japanese solo rock artist and former guitarist (under the name Miyabi )) for the visual kei indies band Dué le quartz, which disbanded in 2002. ... alice nine. ... The Gazette , typeset as the GazettE) is a Japanese visual kei rock band. ... Peelander-Z is a Japanese punk band based in New York City. ...

Japanese Hip-Hop

Hip-hop is a newer form of music on the Japanese music scene. Many felt it was a trend that would immediately pass. However, the genre has lasted for many years and is still thriving. In fact, rappers in Japan did not achieve the success of hip-hop artists in other countries until the late 1980s. This was mainly due to the music world's belief that "Japanese sentences were not capable of forming the rhyming effect that was contained in American rappers' songs." ^[2] There is a certain, well-defined structure to the music industry called "The Pyramid Structure of a Music Scene". As Ian Condry notes, "viewing a music scene in terms of a pyramid provides a more nuanced understanding of how to interpret the significance of different levels and kinds of success." ^[3] The levels are as follows (from lowest to highest): fans and potential artists, performing artists, recording artists (indies), major label artists, and mega-hit stars. These different levels can be clearly seen at a genba, or nightclub. Different "families" of rappers perform on stage. A family is essentially a collection of rap groups that are usually headed by one of the more famous Tokyo acts, which also include a number of proteges. ^[4] They are important because they are "the key to understanding stylistic differences between groups." ^[5] Hip-hop fans in the audience are the ones in control of the night club. They are the judges who determine the winners in rap battles on stage. An example of this can be seen with the battle between rap artists Dabo (a major label artist) and Kan (an indie artist). Kan challenged Dabo to a battle on stage while Dabo was mid-performance. Another important part of night clubs was displayed at this time. It showed "the openness of this genba and the fluidity of boundaries in clubs." ^[6] Both artists did an a cappella freestyle, but in the end, the audience showed their approval for Dabo. Dabo is a Japanese hip-hop artist. ... Kan can refer to: one of the Bacabs of Mayan mythology the Wade-Giles spelling of the Pinyin Gan. ... Freestyle rap is an improvisational form of rapping, performed with few or no previously composed lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the mental state and performing situation of the artist. ...

Roots music

In the late 1980s, roots bands like Shang Shang Typhoon and The Boom became popular. Okinawan roots bands like Nenes and Kina were also commercially and critically successful. This led to the second wave of Okinawan music, led by the sudden success of Rinkenband. A new wave of bands followed, including the comebacks of Champluse and Kina, as led by Kikusuimaru Kawachiya; very similar to kawachi ondo is Tadamaru Sakuragawa's goshu ondo. Traditional Music is a quasi-synonym for folk music. ... Shang Shang Typhoon is a Japanese band of the 1980s and 1990s. ... The Boom is a Japanese rock band. ... Nenes is an Okinawan folk music group formed in 1990 by China Sadao. ... Rinken Band (りんけんバンド) is an Okinawan folk band that helped popularize their homelands musical forms starting in 1985, when their first hit, Arigato, was released. ... Kawachiya Kikusuimaru (河内屋 菊水丸) is a Japanese musician and singer. ... The Goshu ondu is a Japanese dance. ...

Heavy metal

Japan is known for being a successful area for metal bands touring around the world and as a result, many live albums are recorded in Japan. Some notable examples are Deep Purple's Made In Japan, Blind Guardian's Tokyo Tales, Children Of Bodom's Tokyo Warhearts and Ozzy Osbourne's Live At Budokan. This article is about the rock band. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tokyo Tales is the first live album by the German metal band Blind Guardian. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tokyo Warhearts is a live album by the Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom which was recorded on the year of 1999, when the band only had two albums released. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... This article is about the Cheap Trick album Live at Budokan. ...

The most popular metal genre in Japan is Neo-classical Metal and Power Metal. Bands such as Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Angra, DragonForce, Firewind, and Sinergy have had major success in Japan. Japanese Neo-classical bands also had success among international Neo-classical fans with Concerto Moon and Ark Storm being the leading bands. Neo-classical metal is a subgenre of the heavy metal music heavily influenced by classical music in its style of playing and composing[1]. It implies a very technical performance and the use of elements borrowed from classical music and/or by famous classical music composers. ... This article is about the sub-genre of heavy metal music. ... For the album, see Stratovarius (album). ... Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, originally assembled in 1996. ... Angra may mean: Angra (Azores) or Angra do Heroísmo, a district in the Azores Angra (band), a Brazilian heavy metal band Angra dos Reis, a town in Brazil Angra Nuclear Power Plant in Brazil This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share... This article is about the band. ... Firewind is a Greek power metal band, formed and led by guitarist Gus G. // The band began in 1998 when the young Greek Gus G. decided to record a demo with some close musician friends in the United States. ... Sinergy is a power/speed metal supergroup from Finland, formed in an effort to present a balls-out female-fronted metal band to the world, by American vocalist Kimberly Goss, who was keyboarding for Dimmu Borgir at the time, and In Flames lead guitarist Jesper Strömblad in 1998. ... Concerto Moon is a Japanese Melodic/Neo-Classical/power metal band. ...

Speed Metal, Melodic Death Metal and Doom Metal also have followings. Many of the older Japanese metal bands (1980's to 1990's) are speed metal due to the success of X Japan. Extreme metal is usually treated as an underground form of music in Japan. Notable bands are Blood Stain Child, Church Of Misery and Sigh. It should be noted that despite being a death metal band, Arch Enemy have had major success in Japan. Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal that spawned in the early 1980s and was the direct musical progenitor of thrash metal[1] [2]. When Speed metal first emerged as a genre, it innovatively increased the tempo of the music template set forth by Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin... Melodic death metal, (also referred to as Gothenburg metal, melodeath, and post-death) is a subgenre of death metal. ... Doom metal is a form of heavy metal music that emerged as a recognized sub-genre during the first half of the 1980s. ... X Japan, or X which was their initial name, was a Japanese Visual kei band, the brainchild of Yoshiki (Yoshiki Hayashi). ... Extreme metal is an umbrella term, somewhat loosely defined, for a number of related heavy metal subgenres that have developed since the 1980s. ... Blood Stain Child are a Japanese Metal band from the city of Osaka Their unique style of music combines a variety of heavy metal elements such as melodic death metal, melodic black metal and power metal. ... Church of Misery is a doom metal band from Tokyo, Japan. ... Look up sigh in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the musical genre. ... Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, formed in 1996 by ex-Carcass guitarist Michael Amott. ...

Loudness is the most successful Japanese heavy metal band outside Japan. Their 6th album Lightning Strikes peaked at #64 on the Billboard Top 100 Chart. This article is about the heavy metal band Loudness. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... Lightning Strikes, founding member (drummer/percussionist) of national touring, recording artist OUTTALINE. ...

Latin, Reggae and Ska music

See J-ska Other forms of music, from Indonesia, Jamaica and elsewhere, were assimilated. African soukous and Latin music was popular as was Jamaican reggae and ska, exemplified by Mute Beat, Home Grown and Ska Flames, Determinations, and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Japanese ska or J-ska is ska (スカ) or ska punk music made in Japan by Japanese artists with lyrics in the Japanese language or in English. ... // Soukous is a musical genre that originated in the Congos during the 1930s and early 1940s, and which has gained popularity throughout Africa. ... Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. ... This article is about the genre. ... Founded in 1985 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ), commonly abbreviated as Skapara, was initially comprised of more than 10 veterans of Tokyos underground scene. ...

Game music

When the first electronic games were sold, they only had rudimentary sound chips with which to produce music. As the technology advanced. the quality of sound and music these game machines could produce increased dramatically. The first game to take credit for its music was Xevious, also noteworthy for its deeply (at that time) constructed stories. Though many games have had beautiful music to accompany their gameplay, one of the most important games in the history of the video game music is Dragon Quest. Koichi Sugiyama, a composer who was known for his music for various anime and TV shows, including Cyborg 009 and a feature film of Godzilla vs. Biollante, got involved in the project out of the pure curiosity and proved that games can have serious soundtracks. Until his involvement, music and sounds were often neglected in the development of video games and programmers with little musical knowledge were forced to write the soundtracks as well. Undaunted by technological limits, Sugiyama worked with only 8 part polyphony to create a soundtrack that would not tire the player despite hours and hours of gameplay. Chiptune or chip music is music written in sound formats where all the sounds are synthesized in realtime by a computer or video game console sound chip, instead of using sample_based synthesis. ... Xevious ) is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game by Namco, released in 1983. ... Dragon Quest logo Dragon Quest ), published as Dragon Warrior in North America until the 2005 release of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, is a series of role-playing games produced by Enix (now Square Enix). ... Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやまこういち Sugiyama Kōichi; born April 11, 1931) is a Japanese music composer. ... Cyborg 009 (サイボーグ００９ Saibōgu Zero-Zero-Nain) is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. ... Godzilla vs. ...

Another well-known author of video game music is Nobuo Uematsu of Mistwalker. Even Uematsu's earlier compositions for the game series, Final Fantasy, on Famicom (Nintendo in America) are being arranged for full orchestral score. In 2003, he even took his rock-based tunes from their original MIDI format and created The Black Mages. Nobuo Uematsu , born March 21, 1959) is a Japanese composer of video game music, and one of the most well-known, prolific, and versatile in the field. ... Mistwalker ) is a Japanese video game development studio started by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of the popular Final Fantasy series) in 2004 with the financial backing of Microsoft. ... This article is about the Final Fantasy franchise. ... “NES” redirects here. ... For their eponymous first album, see The Black Mages (album). ...

Yasunori Mitsuda is also a highly known composer when it comes to the music video game industry. From Xenogears to Xenosaga Episode I to Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger, Mitsuda has performed an amazing array of songs. Yasunori Mitsuda (光田 康典 Mitsuda Yasunori, born January 21, 1972) is a Japanese composer, sound programmer and musician best known for his work in video game music, specifically Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Shadow Hearts, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Xenogears, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, and Mario Party. ...

Koji Kondo, the main composer for Nintendo, is also prominent on the Japanese game music scene. He is best-known for the Zelda and Mario themes. Koji Kondo , b. ... For the video game system, see Nintendo Entertainment System. ... A Legend of Zelda series logo The Legend of Zelda series (often shortened to Zelda, TLoZ, or LoZ), by Nintendo, is a series of video games created by celebrated game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. ... Mario ) is a video game character created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and the official mascot of Nintendo. ...

The techno/trance music production group I've Sound has made a name for themselves first by making themes for eroge computer games, and then by breaking into the anime scene by composing themes for them. Unlike others, this group was able to find fans in other parts of the world through their eroge and anime themes. For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... Trance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Ive Sound, or simply called Ive ), is a Japanese techno, trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. ... An eroge , erotic game) is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. ... Animé redirects here. ...

Today, game soundtracks are sold on CD. Famous singers like Utada Hikaru sometimes sing songs for games as well, and this is also seen as a way for singers to make a names for themselves. Utada redirects here. ...

The Komoriuta is also a form of traditional Japanese music, it being a form of lullaby. For other uses, see Lullaby (disambiguation). ...

References

See also

• All-Japan Band Association
• Buddhist music
• Chindonya
• Group Sounds
• Japanese hardcore
• Japanese hip hop
• Japanoise
• J-pop
• Saburo Kitajima
• Seiyuu
• Shibuya-kei
• Shintō music
• Visual kei
• Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra
• List of Japanese rock bands
• List of J-pop artists

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Buddhist music is music created for or inspired by Buddhism and part of Buddhist art. ... Chindoya street performers in Okubo, Tokyo, advertising for the opening of a pachinko parlor. ... Group Sounds is a genre of Japanese rock (J-Rock) music in the mid to late 1960s. ... Japanese hardcore punk, also known as Japcore, refers to the fast-paced Japanese punk/hardcore genre. ... Japanese hip hop (nip hop or j-hip hop) is said to have begun in 1983 when Charlie Ahearns Wild Style was shown in Tokyo. ... Japanoise is the label applied to the prolific and influential noise music scene in Japan, primarily in the 1980s and 1990s. ... J-pop is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. ... Saburo Kitajima (北島 三郎; Kitajima Saburo, born October 4, 1936) is a well known Enka singer. ... For the article about the company named Seiyu, see Seiyu Group. ... Shibuya at night Shibuya-kei (渋谷系 Shibuya-style; also 渋谷系サウンド Shibuya-kei sound) is a variety of Japanese pop music which combines elements of jazz, fusion, traditional music, and other styles. ... Malice Mizer, an example of visual kei during the 1990s. ... The Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra , abbreviated TOKWO) is a professional concert band that has long been regarded as one of the worlds finest, perhaps rivaled only in recent years by the Dallas Wind Symphony (USA). ... This is a list of notable Japanese rock bands and solo artists. ... A list of Japanese pop musicians and bands. ...

External links

• columbia.jp – Japanese Traditional Music
• JapanKIKU – Information on Japanese music in Thailand
• musicJapan – Everything about Japanese music
• (Italian) J-Music Italia: JPOP & JROCK
• HearJapan - Informative site for Japanese music