Popularizing Gagaku: Traditional Japanese Music with a History of over 1,000 Years

The Music of the Silk Road Exists Only in Japan Now

This is how Togi describes gagaku: "The music is composed of various instruments, like an orchestra, and can sometimes be accompanied by dance or song. One of its greatest characteristics is that it has been passed down, unchanged, from around 1,400 years ago." The fact that the same musical form has been performed for so long is almost mystical.

Gagaku's origin reaches back a long time. "It was brought to Japan from China and the Korean Peninsula by Japanese missions to China between the 7th and 9th centuries. But the music was influenced by countries and regions further west, like Persia, Turkey, the Middle East, and India. If you were to ask where it began, the only answer would be, 'Somewhere along the Silk Road.' Its history is so old that it can't be confirmed, and what's more, nothing of it remains now anywhere in the countries that once made up the Silk Road."

Since gagaku is often performed during court ceremonies by musicians in the Music Department of the Imperial Household Agency, many people think of it as ceremonial music. However, it was originally performed in honor of the gods and bodhisattvas, and during the 8th and 12th centuries, nobles enjoyed it as a hobby.

"Many people have been captivated by gagaku," Togi says. "Some describe it as 'music of the universe' or 'music that allows you to become one with nature.'"

Gagaku is not just music. It is a culture, and it offers a glimpse into the now-lost cultures of the Silk Road, like a time capsule.

The Influence of Living Abroad as a Child

Togi comes from a lineage of gagaku performers on his mother's side, who have passed down the art for generations. However, his father was a regular businessperson working at a trading company, so learning gagaku was not mandatory in the household. In fact, when Togi was young, he was more interested in rock and jazz and wanted to become a musician in those genres.

When he was in high school, though, his mother said, "If you're so interested in music, why don't you give gagaku a try, since you are a descendant of the Togi lineage."

"You'd think," Togi says, "that a high schooler would rebel against a career suggested by their parents." But that did not happen. The reason lay in his experience living abroad as a child.

Due to his father's job, Togi grew up in Thailand from the age of one to seven. Then he lived in Mexico during his junior high school years.

"When you live abroad, your sense of identity as a Japanese grows stronger," he explains. "Whenever my friends said something mistaken about Japan, I felt the need to correct them. I wanted, and felt it was my responsibility, to get them to know the real Japan, which led me to understand the significance and pride of embracing my native culture."

Even if he were to pursue a career in rock or jazz later on, Togi felt it would be meaningful to learn about Japanese music and joined the Music Department of the Imperial Household Agency.

Gagaku Is Not About Listening to the Melody with One's Ears but Feeling the Music with One's Body

When Togi began to learn gagaku, he dedicated himself to practice in a detached manner at first. However, he grew captivated once he realized intuitively that it had a different kind of lure from other types of music.

"I thought, 'If this is the music that nobles enjoyed in the past, what sort of aesthetics did they have back then?' Like, when they looked at flowers and thought they were beautiful, what part of the flower were they looking at? When they were enraptured by the moon's beauty, what were they feeling in their hearts? Thinking like that lit up my imagination."

According to Togi, in order to appreciate gagaku, one must listen to it differently from modern music.

"Unlike music nowadays, gagaku doesn't have clear melodies or a chorus," Togi explains.

Many modern songs are generally structured in a way that starts out with the "verse" melody, which then changes into the "pre-chorus," before building up into the main part of the song known as the "chorus." People usually recognize a song by its melody, and when they like the melody, they like the song, and enjoy the pattern of buildup to the chorus.

However, this pattern does not exist in gagaku. Even after listening to hundreds of gagaku songs, one will not find a clear distinction in changing melodies.

"Gagaku has melodies too, but they probably all sound the same," Togi clarifies. "But to the ears of our ancestors, there was a difference, so they became different songs. They didn't listen to music the same way modern people do."

How, then, did the people of the past listen to music?

"I believe they 'listened with their bodies,'" Togi answers. "The way I imagine it, the collective sounds of gagaku sink into our skin, spread through our body, and vibrate our bones. Or you could say the music enters through our pores and synchronizes with the pulsing of our cells. It creates a warm, pleasurable feeling."

The instruments of ancient gagaku each held symbolic meaning. For example, the sho is said to be the light of heaven turned into sound, the hichiriki produces sounds symbolizing the earth, and the ryuteki symbolizes air.

Togi says, "Combining these three sounds is symbolic of creating the universe by bringing together heaven, earth, and air. This idea has been passed down and taught through the centuries. In this cosmic view, no singular melody of a song takes precedence. You experience all of the song with all of your body. I believe this is the main difference between gagaku and other forms of music."

The Distinction Between East and West Did Not Exist in the Past

Today, Togi plays modern songs with gagaku instruments, merging both elements. Regardless of what he plays, though, he makes sure to uphold the methods of expression that the people of old valued.

He also performs abroad and notes with great interest that audiences, even in different countries, all share the same response after listening to his performance.

"An overwhelming number of people say, 'I wonder why the music sounds so nostalgic, even though this was my first time hearing it.' So when I talk about gagaku, I always emphasize that it's neither of the East nor West. The people of 2,000 years ago didn't put down a line that divided East from West along the Silk Road. I believe they simply shared and spread what they felt was good."

When Japanese audiences say they feel a sense of nostalgia, they tend to add, "It's probably because I'm Japanese." To this, Togi replies, "Everyone on Earth is the same."

It Is a Waste Not to Know Gagaku

Togi is not at all worried that gagaku will disappear, as it is passed down through the Imperial Household Agency. However, he thinks it is a waste that the general public does not know much about it, so he has tried various ways to get them more engaged. One of them was starting a YouTube channel, which he initially thought of as just something fun to try.

Togi says, "One of the videos is nearing a million views, and young people are leaving comments like, 'I didn't know such powerful instruments existed.' I'm just doing what I enjoy, which I think is a powerful and natural way to get across to viewers that these instruments are fun and can be very moving."

He believes Tokyo is the city that international visitors to Japan first focus on. It is a hub of diversity, where all sorts of things come together, so he hopes it will also become a place where people can experience Japanese culture and music from over 1,000 years ago.

"People think gagaku can only be performed in certain places, but that's not true," Togi says. "Tokyo has a lot of venues where you can play music, so I want to perform wherever I can."

Togi does not think of himself as someone who sets up a goal and works single-mindedly toward it. Instead, he is the type of person who puts into action whatever new idea pops into his head, one after another.

"Before I knew it, I was already walking down a unique path of my own," he says. "I believe it's best to do what you want to do, so I don't have any concerns. Going forward, I hope to continue doing whatever I want to at the time and have fun with it."

Togi performs "Stairway to Heaven," a famous song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, using gagaku instruments like the hichiriki, sho, and ryuteki as well as the electric guitar.
Movie: Yajima Office

Togi Hideki

Togi is a gagaku player, born in Tokyo in 1959. Due to his father's job, Togi spent his childhood abroad and grew up surrounded by various kinds of music including rock, classical, and jazz. After graduating from high school, he joined the Music Department of the Imperial Household Agency. By participating not only in the ceremonies at the Imperial Palace, but also in the overseas performances, Togi has played an important role in introducing the traditional Japanese culture both at home and abroad, and promoting international friendship. In addition, he passionately creates his own music by combining the natural flavor of gagaku with piano and synthesizers.