14 - Music culture

Summary

The expressions hōgaku and yōgaku are among the terms regularly used when people discuss music in present-day Japan. These words stem from the idea that music (-gaku) as a whole is divisible into that of Japan (hō) and that of the West (yō). While hōgaku stands for 'Japanese music', and yōgaku for 'Western music', the actual concepts are a little more complex than this simple division suggests. Let us thus attempt to compare the hōgaku and yōgaku distinction based on a native Japanese perspective, with the three domains of 'art music', 'folk music' and 'popular music'. These domains, frequently employed in the classification of music, constitute so-called 'ideal types' and do not necessarily illustrate the substance of the music. 'Art music' signifies music which has as its audience the upper echelons of society and the elite; its composers can be identified; it is written down in advance in musical notation; it is accepted over a long period of time; and it aspires to artistic values. 'Folk music' has the members of a regional community as its audience; its composers are unidentifiable; it circulates by oral transmission; it is accepted over a long period of time; and it aspires to a unification of sentiment among the community. 'Popular music', assumes a large-scale audience; its composers can be specified; it circulates through a medium which records its sounds; its period of acceptance is relatively short; and it aspires to financial gain.