Playlist:  Classical Genres of Japan (Introduction to World Music: Asia) by Jenna Makowski, Alexander Street Press

Etenraku is a piece from the Gagaku repertoire. Gagaku, the imperial court music of Japan, has been preserved under the patronage of the court since the sixth century. This is the best-known piece in Gagaku repertoire, the music frequently used as an accompaniment to songs in the Heian Period (794-1185). The composition consists of three melodic phrases of 32 beats each. (Gagaku: The Imperial Court Music of Japan. Liner Notes. Lyrichord, 1993.)

The koto belongs to the family of long zithers, found across East Asia. The instrument's classical repertoire peaked from the mid-17th to the mid-19th century, during the Edo period. Rokudan is the best known piece from this era. The piece is based on a variation style, which became fundamental to the genre. It is performed in such a way that the tempo increases gradually towards the final section, with a strong ritardando at the end. (Nanae Yoshimura: The Art of the Koto, Vol. 1. Liner Notes. Celestial Harmonies, 2000.)

Daiwa-Gaku is a piece composed by the great Shakuhachi master of the 20th century, Jin Nyodo. The piece is one of the few that have been composed in the modern era, and have been accepted into the ranks of the great traditional Honkyoku, a genre of shakuhachi played by Japanese zen monks since the 13th century. The piece is intended to speak to the four seasons of the year, the four times of day, and the four stages of a man's life. (Makoto Sjinjitsu: Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin. Liner Notes. Lyrichord, 1998.)