ABSTRACT
An introductory vignette introduces the chindon-ya ensemble and uses it to highlight several tensions in Japanese music, including: Japanese “traditions” vs Western “modernity”; military, war, and peace; homogeneity and heterogeneity; and listening “beyond” music. The chapter then outlines an approach aimed at introducing readers to lesser-known genres and practices, starting a series of case studies by focusing on music among the indigenous Ainu. A second case study focuses on music in Okinawa, focused on the shansin. The chapter then shifts to thinking about a tradition of music accompanying dances for the dead, called bon-odori, before turning to an exploration of gagaku, or court music. An engagement with the genre of noise performance, called Japanoise, opens onto a discussion of listening to silence and remembrance. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the power of bells at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
