Traditional Japanese music is the folk or traditional music of Japan. Japan's Ministry of Education classifies lit. 'Japanese music' (邦楽) as a category separate from other traditional forms of music, such as (court music) or (Buddhist chanting), but most ethnomusicologists view, in a broad sense, as the form from which the others were derived. Outside of ethnomusicology, however, usually refers to Japanese music from around the 17th to the mid-19th century. Within this framework, there are three types of traditional music in Japan: theatrical, court music, and instrumental.

Theatrical

Japan has several theatrical forms of drama in which music plays a significant role. The main forms are kabuki and Noh.

Noh

Noh (能) or nōgaku (能楽) music is a type of theatrical music used in Noh theatre. Noh music is played by an instrumental ensemble called hayashi-kata (囃子方). The instruments used are the taiko (太鼓) stick drum, a large hourglass-shaped drum called the ōtsuzumi (大鼓), a smaller hourglass-shaped drum called the kotsuzumi (小鼓), and a bamboo flute called the nohkan (能管). The ensemble is performed along with yōkyoku, vocal music, in Noh theater.

Kabuki

Kabuki (歌舞伎) is a type of Japanese theatre known for its highly stylized dancing and singing as well as the elaborate make-up worn by the predominately all-male cast. The first instances of kabuki used the from Noh performances. Later, kabuki began incorporating other instruments like the. Kabuki music can be divided into three categories:, , and and.

includes music and sound effects played on stage, behind a black bamboo curtain called a. music can be further subdivided into three types. The first type is or song. is sung accompanied by a. Typically there are multiple singers singing together. The second type is called. It involves music without any singing. The third type is. is played by small percussion instruments besides the.

encompasses music that is played on the stage and accompanies acting and dancing. includes the, , and music styles. accompanies acting. , and accompany dancing in kabuki. basically recites the parts of the play concerning scenery. The actors attempt to synchronize their lines with the rhythm of —an effect known as ('get onto strings'). is one of the most commonly seen forms of. It involves singers, called, and players, called. The are seated to the right of the stage dancers, and the are seated on the left of the stage. The use (thin neck) which produce high pitched tones and are capable of producing delicate melodies. consists of reciters called and that use (medium-neck). is similar to music but is slower-paced and more solemn. is also performed onstage. also consists of and using. However, in words and sentences full of emotion are recited in very high-pitched tones.

and

and describe the distinctive sounds made by striking two square oak boards. When the two boards are struck together, they produce the sound. When they are struck against a hardwood board, they produce the sound.

Court music ()

Gagaku (雅楽) is court music, and is the oldest traditional music in Japan. It was usually patronized by the Imperial Court or the shrines and temples. music includes songs, dances, and a mixture of other Asian music. has two styles; these are instrumental music kigaku (器楽) and vocal music seigaku (声楽). Since 雅 means "elegance", literally means elegant music and generally refers to musical instruments and music theory imported into Japan from China and Korea from 500 to 600 CE. is divided into two main categories: Old Music and New Music. Old Music refers to music and musical compositions from before the Chinese Tang dynasty (618–906). New Music refers to music and compositions produced during or after Tang, including music brought from various regions of China and Korea. Old and New Music are further divided into the categories 左楽 ("Music of the Left") and 右楽 ("Music of the Right"). Music of the left 左楽 is composed of 唐楽 (music from Tang) and 林邑楽 (music from Indo-China). Music of the right 右楽 is composed of 高麗楽 (music from Korea).

Shōmyō (声明) is a kind of Buddhist chanting of sutra syllabically or melismatically set to melodic phrasing, usually performed by a male chorus. came from India, and it began in Japan in the Nara period. is sung a capella by one or more Buddhist monks. The two characters (声 and 明) translate literally as "voice" and "clear" respectively. is a translation of the Sanskrit word, which means "the (linguistic) study of language".

Jōruri (浄瑠璃) is narrative music using the shamisen (三味線). There are four main styles. These are centuries-old traditions which continue today: There are other four styles which have largely died out. , and are old style. These styles are referred to as Kokyoku (古曲) or "old music". also included ogiebushi (荻江節). It is not but is like.

Nagauta (長唄) is a style of music played using the. There are three styles of : one for kabuki dance, one for kabuki plays (dialogue), and one for music unconnected with kabuki. Ogiebushi (荻江節) is similar to. Ogie Royuu I (荻江露友) (died 1787) began to play this style, having first played in the style. He moved from playing this style to play in the style. His rival was Fujita Kichiji (富士田吉治), a singer in Edo. Ogie Royuu I had a beautiful but small voice. In a theater a voice with volume was important, so Ogie Royuu I stopped singing in the theater. Ogie Royuu I began to play in the Yoshiwara (red-light district). declined after 1818. Tamaya Yamazaburou (玉屋山三郎) composed new pieces at the end of the Edo period. Yamazaburou was an owner of a parlor house in the red-light district of Yoshiwara. Yamazaburou knew music very well. Tamaya Yamazaburou's pieces are influenced by jiuta (地歌) music. Iijima Kizaemon (飯島喜左衛門) re-established. Kizaemon changed his name to Ogie Royuu IV in 1876 or 1879. (It is not known if there was an Ogie Royuu II or Ogie Royuu III.) is classified as a style of "old music" (古曲). ( usually means a musical piece or musical number in modern Japanese.) Now is Katohbushi (河東節), Icchuubushi (一中節), Miyazonobushi (宮薗節) and Ogiebushi (荻江節). is old music from the Edo period. Not many players perform and those who do are elderly; there are few young musicians playing this music.

music

Shakuhachi (尺八) music began in the Edo period. Buddhist monks played the as a substitute for a sutra. Sometimes the is played along with other instruments.

Sōkyoku (筝曲) uses the Japanese koto (琴), which differs from the Chinese. There are two well known families of, which can be distinguished by the shape of the plectra used in playing.

Traditional music in modern culture

Traditional Japanese musicians sometimes collaborate with modern Western musicians. Also, musicians create new styles of Japanese music influenced by the West but still use traditional musical instruments.

Traditional musical instruments

Chordophones

Aerophones

Membranophones

Idiophones

Traditional cultural events

Artists