Editing Culture of Japan (section)

=== History of traditional music ===
Traditional Japanese music finds its first major historic periods in the [[Nara period|Nara]] (710–794)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Malm |first=William P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yn3VQbqywCsC&q=first+major+historic+periods&pg=PA11 |title=Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments |date=2000 |publisher=Kodansha International |isbn=978-4-7700-2395-7 |pages=7 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Heian period|Heian]] (794–1185)<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Malm |first=William Paul |title=Japanese music and musical instruments |date=1983 |publisher=Tuttle |isbn=978-0-8048-0308-3 |edition=9th pr |location=Rutland}}</ref> periods. The two most common kinds of music during this time were the music of the court ([[Gagaku]]) and the music of Buddhist rituals ([[shōmyō]]).<ref name=":3" /> The music of the Nara period can be classified as belonging to the first international period in Japanese music history.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Malm |first=William P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yn3VQbqywCsC&q=international+period&pg=PA11 |title=Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments |date=2000 |publisher=Kodansha International |isbn=978-4-7700-2395-7 |pages=33 |language=en}}</ref> The court music was all of Chinese, Korean, or Indian origin and was played primarily by foreign musicians in its original style.<ref name=":4" /> [[Gagaku]] classical music has been performed at the Imperial court since the [[Heian period]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-08 |title=Gagaku, Imperial Court Music & Dance of Japan {{!}} Musicians of the Imperial Household {{!}} History of Gagaku |url=http://iha-gagaku.com/english/history.html |access-date=2023-12-09 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508231541/http://iha-gagaku.com/english/history.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> At the same time, Buddhist ritual music exerted some influence on the native vocal style.<ref name=":4" /> While poetry anthologies indicate that folk music had continued its steady pace, the historical records and relics show us music that was primarily instrumental and often connected with dance.<ref name=":4" /> By the time of the Kamakura period, most traces of the international character of Japanese music had disappeared.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Malm |first=William P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yn3VQbqywCsC&q=Buddhist+ritual+music+exerted&pg=PA11 |title=Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments |date=2000 |publisher=Kodansha International |isbn=978-4-7700-2395-7 |pages=37 |language=en}}</ref> Court music in general was declining, while there was a steady growth of more theatrical arts.<ref name=":5" /> The indigenous folk ritual music of flute and drums here encountered the aristocratic aesthetic of poetry and literary tales.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Hughes |first=David W. |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781315172354/ashgate-research-companion-japanese-music-alison-mcqueen-tokita-david-hughes |title=The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music |date=2017-02-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-315-17235-4 |location=London |pages=5 |doi=10.4324/9781315172354}}</ref> Japan's indigenous musical culture can still be found in much of folk music and the music of Shinto festivals in local communities.<ref name=":6" />