Chapter 3: Artist of koto music

Koto music, which is performed by koto that derived from Nara period, inclined musician who lived in Edo period to compose for new genre. Let’s learn about the artist activities from Edo period.

Yatsuhashi Kengyou: The new wind blowing koto music

Yatsuhashi Kengyou (1614-1685) is a musician who lived in the early Edo period, and spread the seeds of genre for koto music. According to Soukyokutaiisho [特56-643], He was born in Fukushima as a visually handicapped, and belonged to Toudou which was organized by blind persons.
In his early activity, Although he was famous of shamisen in Osaka, encountering with Hossui who was koto players, and was disciple of Kenjun (the founder of the Tsukushi school of koto music), made him to change his major main instrument to koto.

He restructured some of kumiuta that were accompanied with koto. Also he composed danmono, it inspired from koto’s commercial music. The origin of kumiuta was tsukushi soukyoku. Though, he felt those as unfamiliar and too elegant for commons, He devised the method for adaption a pitch which followed with a part of Japanese musical scale.
And other works, he contributed for art music by regulate tech-performance. Thereafter, koto music settled in as an art music. His activation led koto music to toudou*’s monopolized own.

*Toudou: The organization of Blind persons in Muromachi and Edo period. It was constructed by blind monk, which was called “Biwa Hoshi.” As a musician, their main works is to come into existence of music which performed by shamisen, koto, kokyu and so on. But also, They did other works from medical practice to moneylender.

Ikuta Kengyou & Yamada Kengyou: Prosperity of two schools

After Yatsuhashi, a lot of schools of koto music are founded. Mostly they are separated in “Ikuta school” or “Yamada school,” excepted regional moving such as Tsugaru and Okinawa and so on. Both schools were developed from Yatsuhashi’s koto music, There are a slight difference like a music performance style in.

Ikuta Kengyou: Forest of luxuriating Ikuta

Ikuta kengyou (1656-1715) is grand-disciple of Yatsuhashi, and Ikuta school seemed to be founded in the middle of Edo period. He made trio music for shamisen, koto, and vocal. To adjust of shamisen, he devised a method of tech-performance and pitching theory. But in this period about trio, was just unison same melodies.

Yamada Kengyou: Paddy of flourishing Yamada

Yamada Kengyou (1757-1817) opened a school in the last of Edo period. It has been after 100 years since Ikuta style demolished. In those days, “koto” music was developed in Kyoto or in Osaka, but it doesn’t in Edo yet. So, he composed for Edo’s common. His songs were related with jyoururi, nagauta, nou no utai, which were favor for ordinary people. As a result, He gained a great popularity.

Koto musicians in Meiji

In Meiji period, Toudou were disbanded in 1871, then, Japan imported western music for musical education, and assigned in educational institute, due to restructure old teaching system. Those events forced koto musicians to renew their music activation. Although they had lived in perturb terms in these period, they kept activation to convey their koto and koto music in each of region. As a result, a lot of music had composed in several places.
In Tokyo in 1879, when the ministry of education established organization of musical institute, YAMASE Shoin (1845-1908) took up an appointment who inherited the Yamada Style. Like him, some of professors who research at that institute which is known as Ongaku Torishirabe Gakari, they have translated a lot of Japanese “koto” music notes to musical score which is normally used today.

MIYAGI Michio: To Modernize koto music

Miyagi Michio (1841-1909) is born in Meiji period. His talents of art was deviating, as gain a prize from Prime Minister in 14 years old. In the activity of “New Japanese Music,” that purpose is increase activation of Japanese music, was spread in Meiji period. At the same time, he had contributed his music in composition included Western factories.
In spite of his enthusiasm, the first time he released, quite of bad reputation dropped him by most of conservative Japanese artist. However, layer of upholding western or Latin music, and catalog editor supported his new koto music. At last, his effort led to summoned the music,“Spring sea” (Please refer to Chapter 1).

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Afterword/References