Post on 18-Oct-2014
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Japan’s Brief History
Japan (Nippon or Nihon, literal meaning: "Origin of Sun") is a country in Far East Asia, made up of a chain of
islands - located between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula.
Known as the Land of the Rising Sun, its 13 centuries of recorded history have created a distinctive culture.
The Japanese name Nippon is used on stamps and for international sporting events, while Nihon is used more
often within Japan. It is from the Chinese version of the name that the
English Japan was derived. The early Mandarin Chinese word for Japan was recorded
by Marco Polo as Cipangu. In Malay the Chinese word became Japang and was thus encountered by Portuguese traders in Moluccas in the
16th century. It is thought the Portuguese traders were the first to
bring the word to Europe. It was first recorded in English in 1577 spelled Giapan.
According to traditional Japanese history, Japan was founded in the 7th century BC
by the ancestral Emperor Jimmu. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the
Chinese writing system and Buddhism were introduced with other Chinese cultures via
the Korean peninsula or directly from China.
The emperors were the nominal rulers, but actual power was usually held by powerful court nobles, regents, or shoguns (military
governors).
Japan’s Musical
Instruments
Sanshin
•three-string banjo from Okinawa
Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and
three strings.Traditionally, it was covered with the skin of the Burmese python, but today, due to CITES regulations, the skin of the python reticulatus is also used. A bamboo bridge raises the strings off the skin.
TonkoriThe tonkori is a plucked string
instrument played by the Ainu people of Hokkaidō, northern
Japan and Sakhalin. It generally has five
strings, which are not stopped or fretted but simply played "open".The instrument is
believed to have been developed in Sakhalin.
By the 1970s the instrument was
practically extinct, but is experiencing a
revival along with the increased interest in
Ainu heritage.
Shamisen
A banjo-like lute with three strings, the shamisen was
brought to Japan from China in the 16th century. Popular in Edo's pleasure districts, the shamisen
was often used in Kabuki theater. Made from red sandalwood and ranging from 1.1 to 1.4 meters long, the shamisen has ivory
pegs, strings made from twisted silk, and a belly covered in cat or dog skin. The strings, which are of different thickness, are plucked or struck with a tortoise shell pick.
Nohkan • Transverse bamboo flute used for noh
theater.Made of split and tapered strips of smoked bamboo (susudake) or burned bamboo (yakidake), glued together to form a tapering conical bore. The smoking carbonizes the bamboo and preserves it. The split strips of bamboo are reversed to place the hard bamboo surface on the inside for improved acoustics. Some modern versions of nohkan use an interior coating oftempera paint for this. The strips are then glued together, bound with thin strips of twisted cherry bark (kabamaki) and lacquered to make the conical tubeThe nohkan plays a strong high pitch (hishigi) that is rich with
high frequency harmonics.
Shakuhachi
Shakuhachi is a Japanese end-blown
flute. It was originally introduced
from China into Japan in the 8th
century and underwent a
resurgence in the early Edo Period. The
shakuhachi is traditionally made
of bamboo, but versions now exist
in ABS and hardwoods. It was
used by the monks of the Fuke schoolof
Zen Buddhism in the practice of suizen .
TSURI-DAIKO
•Drum on a stand
with ornately painted
head played •With a padded stick.
Japan’s Traditional Music
SAKURA"Sakura Sakura" "Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms"), also known as "Sakura", is a
traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of cherry blossoms. Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate in
ancient times; it was a popular, urban melody of the Edo period and was adopted as a piece for beginning koto students in the Tokyo Academy
of Music Collection of Japanese Koto Music issued in 1888 (in English) by the
Department of Education.[The song has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in
their present form were attached then. It is often sung in international settings as a song
representative of Japan.In 2007, it was selected for Nihon no Uta
Hyakusen, a collection of songs and nursery rhymes widely beloved in Japan.