The History of Gagaku

[Early days]

　　　We can imagine that coming from an island, Japanese music has developed without being influenced by neighboring countries. However, it was in fact largely influenced by other countries as diplomatic exchanges developed with countries on the Korean Peninsula or the Mainland of China. Japan actively welcomed foreign music, at the same time as Buddhism was spread in Japan.
　　　What is the oldest written record in history, it was a mission group of about 80 musicians who were sent by the king of Silla (Korea) on the death of Emperor Ingyô (412-453), the 4th son of Emperor Nintoku (313-399).
　　　The music was also imported by the Japanese mission in Sui China and that in Tang China. It was called "Tôgaku", music of the Tang, which became the main current of Gagaku.
　　　The first genuine organization for music in Japan was "Utamai-no-tsukasa", set up after the promulgation of the "Code of Taihô" in 701. It seems that this organization was huge containing about more than 400 musicians.
　　　Apart from such a public music organization, Gagaku was played in economically well-off temples that could hire musicians on their own and had them play during various religious rituals. This was the case of the Shitenno temple or the great temples of Nanto (Nara).

［Prosperous times］

　　　In the Heian era, Gagaku experienced a period of prosperity, so Gagaku originally foreign music was quickly transformed into Japanese style. The music and dance, imported from various Asian countries through the Asuka era (592-710) and the Nara era (710-794), became sufficiently assimilated in Japan until a good number of musicians including the name remains very famous today appeared in this period and there were many repertoires for Tôgaku or Komagaku, composed or arranged by the Japanese themselves.
　　　During the reign of Emperor Ninmyō (833-850), the reform and great organization of Gagaku, close to the current system, was carried out. And it was at this time that two schools for Bugaku (dance) were established: the school of the Left for Tôgaku, Chinese music, the school of the Right for Komagaku, Korean music.
　　　As Gagaku was institutionalized as ceremonial music in the imperial court, as the number of performances within the imperial court increased, Gagaku became part of the life of aristocrats. This is why Gagaku enjoyed prosperity during this period.
　　　It was no longer enough in this situation that the musicians go to work for each occasion at the imperial court starting from the "Utaimai-no-tsukasa". As the place where the musicians could stay was always in the same part of the imperial court, the office of Gagaku was installed there and eventually became indispensable as an official body to manage the activity of Gagaku.
　　　The Gagaku in this period constituted the well-ordered form and content in Japanese fashion, marking the ceremonial color of the imperial court over the religious character of Shinto and Buddhist temples.

[Gagaku era of decline and crisis]

　　　Gagaku was familiar as the music and dance in the imperial court as the Fujiwara family took power. Following the birth of the society of the military nobility after the Genji and Heike families, Gagaku went into more and more decline and was practiced only as the music and dance of the imperial court and Shinto and Buddhist temples.
　　　Musicians who specialized in Gagaku had an increasingly stable position after the Heian period. It was the musicians of Kyoto who worked at the imperial court, those of Nara who concentrated around the Kôfuku-ji temple as well as those of Tennô-ji of Osaka who played the main role. They were called "Sanpô-gakujin", musicians of three directions.
　　　However, the Onin War (1467-77) burned down and ruined the city of Kyoto, so that most of Kyoto's musicians dispersed and ceremonies at the imperial court could not be performed properly. This is how the Gagaku could not be played. This was the period of greatest crisis for Gagaku in its history.
　　　Moving from the Onin War to the Sengoku Period (Age of Warring Provinces), when the fire of war subsided, Gagaku was protected by Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi Toyotomi who were the powerful people of that era. The Emperor brought to Kyoto the musicians of the Shitennô-ji temple of Osaka and those of the Kôjuku-ji temple to complete the musicians at the imperial court. This is how Gagaku took shape again and “Sanpô-gakuso” was established in collaboration with musicians from three cities: Kyoto, Nara and Osaka.
　　　When the orchestra plays at the imperial court, a "Gakuso-maku" curtain is installed behind the musicians on which the cucumber emblem is drawn. If we call this curtain "Gakuso-maku", it is due to the consequence of the story of "Sanpô-gakuso".
　　　By avoiding the rupture, the tradition of Gagaku was thus preserved. The Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868) also protected Gagaku. He brings together the musicians from "Sanpô-gakuso" to serve the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Shôgun of the Edo period. As it was located in Momijiyama within Edo Castle, they were called "Momijiyama gakujin".

［After the Meiji Restoration］

　　　“Sanpo-gakuso” having been abolished in 1870, “Gagaku-kyoku” was installed. By examining the old scores, the new score was arranged.
　　　Gagaku could only be passed down to the noble family or Gagaku musicians. This system was reformed and ordinary people, having permission, began to learn Gagaku. This was the first reform in the history of Gagaku.

［Present Day］

　　　The Gagaku at the imperial court is played by the musicians of the Gagaku department at the imperial household. These are the officials who are part of the imperial household and play during rituals reserved for the imperial court, ceremonies or official evenings organized by the government. Musicians at the Imperial Court are designated as persons constituting the Important Intangible Cultural Heritage of Japan. They are also registered in the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.