Abstract
This chapter attempts to shed some light on Japan’s cultural policy as the context within which the transmission of traditional music takes place. A special focus is on the place of shakuhachi music: The traditional nature of shakuhachi instruction, as well as recent changes in shakuhachi practice, are introduced, with particular attention being paid to: (a) the international context; (b) non-traditional community settings; and (c) the formal learning context in schools. Together, they reveal the different challenges and opportunities facing shakuhachi music in terms of its preservation, innovation and transformation. Implications for sustainable practices are discussed in relation to alternative pedagogies, approaches and places.
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Notes
- 1.
The latest data in Japan is available at: http://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunka_gyosei/yosan/
- 2.
The international data was provided by The Nomura Research Institute (2012) upon request from the Cultural Affairs Agency in Japan. The report is available at: https://www.bunka.go.jp/tokei_hakusho.../pdf/h26_hokoku.pdf
- 3.
Hebert (2004) observes that the iemoto model appears to have had an immense influence on the institutionalization of Western music in Japanese conservatories where “pedagogical lineage” and “authority” are associated with the iemoto system of Japanese schools of Western music.
- 4.
The following is from a memoir of Goro Yamaguchi’s teaching style, written by one of his top students, Komei Mizuno: ‘During the 31 years of my study with him, I had just one time in which Yamaguchi sensei made a complimentary remark on my progress, and two times he critiqued my playing. Otherwise, he normally said, “That’s fine, that’s all about it today.” There was no feedback, whether my playing was good or bad, let alone any advice to my playing. http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/%7Emizushaku/shaku/oshienai.html
- 5.
I have come across an Australian student who was told by a Japanese teacher: “You don’t deserve any music lesson in any country with any teacher.”
- 6.
Halliwell’s (1994) observation of hogaku pedagogy provides a useful perspective when analysing shakuhachi pedagogy. Through an analysis of koto teaching and learning, Halliwell identified seven points of the hogaku pedagogy: (a) there is virtually no explicit “theory,” or teaching of theory, as it is known in the West; (b) there are no “exercises” and the teaching of instrumental and vocal technique is integrated within the teaching of musical “text”; (c) there is no explicit conceptual distinction between “text” and “interpretation”—one learns to play following the teacher’s example; (d) there is very little verbal explanation, either of technique or of musical or expressive content; (e) playing together with the teacher is fundamental; (f) teachers may use shoga (oral representation of musical sound), or purely musical means, to convey information to the student; and (g) notation, of the type that is used nowadays, is of relatively minor importance.
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Matsunobu, K. (2018). Cultural Policy and the Transmission of Traditional Music in Japan. In: Leung, BW. (eds) Traditional Musics in the Modern World: Transmission, Evolution, and Challenges. Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics, and Education, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91599-9_4
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