The performance of Japanese music has traditionally been of a spiritual character, similarly to martial arts and other art forms of arts such as the tea ceremony and calligraphy, for example. The musician works on an inner strength in mastering of his or her instrument, more than simply perfecting a technique of some sort and providing entertainment. Audiences are looking …show more content…
In 589, Japanese official diplomatic delegations were sent to China to learn Chinese culture, including Chinese court music, Gagaku. By the 7th century, the gakuso and the gakubiwa had been introduced into Japan from China. Various instruments, including these two, were the earliest used to play gagaku.
Kabuki is a form of Japanese theater that combines drama, dance, and music and is the most well-known to people around the world. Okunis performed the Kabuki plays. Kabuki theatre is very lively. Swordfights and wild costumes are the norm in the stage productions. Until about 1680, the plays used real swords. The art of Kabuki was actually created in opposition to the Noh theater. The idea was to tell more timely and lively stories to shock the audiences. The first Kabuki show was performed in 1603. Eventually, it grew into a stylized art form that still remains popular today. Kanadahon Chushingura is one of the most-beloved Kabuki plays. It tells a story of forty-seven ronin (samurai without a leader) avenging their lord's death. People who want to see real Kabuki should attend a showing of Tokyo theater troop's Gekidan Shinkansen. One of the conventions of kabuki theater is that people in the audience will make kakagoe (shouts) at certain times when the drama is highest. Often, these people are seated in cheap seats and are called omuko-San (great distance …show more content…
In the early modern era ingredients such as red meats that had previously not been widely used in Japan were introduced. Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on seasonality of food,[215] quality of ingredients and presentation. Japanese cuisine offers a vast array of regional specialties that use traditional recipes and local ingredients. The Michelin Guide has awarded restaurants in Japan more Michelin stars than the rest of the world