Gagaku, the ceremonial music of the imperial court, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japan, was established in the early 8th century and has been continuously performed since then. Despite its importance in the cultural and religious history of Japan, this is the only book on the cultural history of Gagaku published outside of Japan. The chapters, written by the leading experts on Gagaku in Japan and elsewhere, address religious, philosophical, and socio-cultural aspects of this music with focus on Buddhism, Confucianism, Shinto, and also explore the impact of modernization and globalization.
The book discusses developments from the 1600s until the present (most previous works focus on the 8th through 12th centuries), including the samurai appropriation of Gagaku and the diffusion of this music among learned commoners. It also traces the history of the global interest for Gagaku among contemporary composers in the early 20th century. This book brings a new understanding of the cultural history of Japan, by focusing on music, its conceptual system, and its impact on religion, society, and politics. A must read for specialists of Japanese religion and culture, musicologists, and all those who are interested in world music.

目次

• Fabio Rambelli/ Gagaku, the Ceremonial Music of Japan: Cultural Capital, Cultural Heritage, and Cultural Identity
• Endō Tōru/ In Search of the Sound of Righteous Rule: Toward a Cultural History of Gagaku
• Kayaki Tōru/ The Study of Ceremonial Music (reigaku) in the Edo Period: Research on Japanese Court Gagaku by Confucian Scholars
• Nakagawa Yūko/ Music and Musical Instruments in the Works of Kumazawa Banzan and Kaibara Ekken: The Status of Gagaku in Early Edo Period Thought
• Takenouchi Emiko/ Gagaku Practice at Hirosaki Domain: The Music of the Samurai: Gagaku as Confucian Practice
• Yamada Junpei/ The Adoption of Gagaku by the Samurai in the Mid-Edo Period From the Diary of Nara Musician: From the Diary of Nara Musician Tsuji Chikaie
• Minamitani Miho/ Professional and Amateur Gagaku Musicians in the Edo Period
• Deguchi Miki/ The Transmissions of Music Lineages in Early Modern Japan: A Case Study of the Oka Family Flute Scores
• Ono Shinryū/Gagaku in Buddhist Ceremonies at Nishi Honganji: The Ceremonial Use of Gagaku in Jōdo Shinshū
• ?uchi Fumi/ Religious and Political Dynamics in the Bugaku of the Hayashi Family (Yamagata Prefecture)
• Terauchi Naoko/ Locality and Centralization: Changes to the Performing Arts at Local Shrines from the Meiji Period Onwards
• Andrea Giolai/ Curating Sonic Heritage: Sound and Audition at Nara’s Kasuga Wakamiya Onmatsuri
• LeRon J. Harrison/ Is Traditional Japanese Culture Transnational?
• Fabio Rambelli/ Gagaku as World Music: Heritage, Identity, and Creativity