Thematic Exhibition The Beauty and Diversity of Classical Japanese Musical Instruments

Classical Japanese music includes various forms, such as gagaku, which is the ceremonial music of imperial court ceremonies; nōgaku, which was the ceremonial music of the warrior class; Heike biwa storytelling, and other forms, each of which utilized a variety of different musical instruments. Among the instruments that were used—such as the shō (mouth organ), biwa (lute), and sō (also koto: zither)—some have origins in India, and Persia, while others, such as flutes and drums, evolved into a diverse array of different forms with time, increasing in numbers and becoming widely used. In addition to gagaku instruments and the shō and shamisen (three-stringed lute), which were used for educating women, and instruments from the Ryūkyū kingdom that were sent by the Ryūkyū kings, the Owari Tokugawa collection also includes instruments associated with the Noh theater that were considered essential symbols of cultivation for the daimyō lords of the Edo period, and a truly wide variety of diverse instruments that have been passed down. This exhibition presents the full range of various kinds of musical instruments passed down in the Owari Tokugawa family together under one roof and examines the evolution of Japanese music through this assortment of musical instruments.