Music has been influential and involved in nearly every aspect of Japanese culture, as many Japanese folk tales were centered around music and had musical aspects. This is especially apparent in the tale Princess Hase. In the story of Princess Hase, she is a extremely skilled koto player. There have many many different musical instruments, art forms, and musical genres that have been pivotal in Japanese culture and influential in other cultures. Not only were these central to Japanese culture, but with Japan's spread it has wound up on other continents as customs. The Japanese have managed to not only find a way to incorporate music into their lives as a form of entertainment, but have also incorporated music into their daily lives and into their religious lives. The emphasis that the Japanese put on music have put on music has only brought more success to their traditional items. For the Japanese, music is not just a hobby or entertainment . But it was so much more than that. They used it on their daily lives. There are many items that, have even had a major impact on American society and American culture. For example, karaoke would be unfathomable had it not had been initiated in Japan and brought to America. Once it was brought to America, it was spread worldwide to the level that it is today, with many people participating in it to this day, to the point where there are karaoke places where karaoke is the sole attraction in the karaoke bars. The popularity of these musical instruments have also sparked interest in other instruments. For example, a lot of Japanese people learn how to play instruments, particularly stringed instruments. This is apparent in that the three instruments that were picked according to Japanese music.
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...part in the stories of our required reading. For example, in Princess Hase, she could play an instrument beautifully, something that Probably just added fuel to the fire in Terumi's hatred. She also could write beautiful poetry, which you would probably think would not have anything to do with music, but as a matter of fact, to the Japanese, certain genres of music were regarded as a form of poetry, partly because the Japanese took so much pride in their music that they took pride in the words that were chosen for their music. Having a musical talent was highly impressive to Japanese, so to have a gift at playing an instrument, you regarded by others as blessed. The Japanese music placed a lot of emphasis on stringed instruments, and stringed instruments functioned in many different ways. They were used in brothels, shrines, temples, theatres, and many more places.
-Nara’s Buddhist temples were another result of cultural diffusion, Buddhist began in India in 500s B.C.E. about 1,000 years later, it came to Japan from China by way of Korea.
Japantown, in San Francisco, is an ethnic enclave to the Japanese who migrated to the US and it is a space created by themselves for themselves to practice their old traditions and remind them of home. The Kinokuniya building in Japantown is home to many generations of Japanese and they would often celebrate traditional festivals and more than often there are many subculture groups within the Japanese here in San Francisco. One subculture that is evident is the Ikebana group located in Japancenter where they display flower arrangements called Ikebana. Being an outsider, the need to observe and research is very important to understand this art form flourishing in San Francisco. The empirical evidences I have gathered allowed me to dwell deeper into the history of Ikebana and the Ikebana group as well as the importance of this group to its fellow members.
Western influence played a significant role in the downfall of the Shogunate. The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853 and the signing of the ‘unequal treaties’ lead to further discontent in Japan’s Feudal Structure and rebellions against the government. Although in the lead up to the arrival of Perry, there were already problems within the Feudal structure of Japan, it was the response of the Shogunate to Western influence that ultimately lead to an alliance, which sped up the downfall of the Shogunate.
Both Naoe and Kieko resent each other because Naoe is unable to leave behind her Japanese traditions and culture, where as Keiko refuses to remain trapped in a state of confusion between two cultures. Consequently, Keiko actively works to diminish this polarity that exists between her Japanese “self” and Canadian “self” by refuting one of her “selves.” Keiko does this by avoiding Japanese food, the Japanese language, and Naoe. Keiko’s disdain for traditional Japanese food does not help close the distance between her and Naoe, specifically because Naoe’s fixation and obsession with Japanese food is evident throughout Chorus of Mushrooms. For example, the scenes in which Naoe is relishing food that her brother Shige, and his wife have sent her,
Most American citizens remember December 7, 1941 and the significance that the incidents of that day had. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a shock to the United States of America and it engaged our country in the Second World War of that century (Pearl, 2009). Unfortunately, due to that incident, many Americans harbor many negative feelings and attitudes towards the country of Japan. While this is an understandable sentiment, it is unnecessary, because Japan is an influence on not on the United States but the entire world. Throughout this paper, we will look at the country of Japan as many have never viewed them before. Their actions of the past are just that, the past. Japan is a thriving and successful country within our environment and it is in our best interest to understand that country better. Japan, as a culture, is the
Hawaiian is unique among the fifty states, especially in regards to its native music form, which is still preformed, and captivates audiences even today. Hawaiian chanting, music, and dance are not only key parts of life on the island, but have also become cultural icons as well as profound symbols of nature and religion in Hawaii. Hawaii has a rich history, beginning with the early settlers from Polynesia who brought their traditions and religions to Hawaii. Over the years, the inhabitants took those traditions and adapted them to their new home, creating the definitive culture that, even with Western influences, still is a captivating force within the society.
While reading early Japanese literature, it is apparent that poetry embedded within the prose is a significant part of the overall experience of the storylines. There are times at which, in the case of Ise Monogatari, it is apparent that the story, written in prose, is not the main focus of the entry. The poetry is a delicate form of self-expression that was the only form of expression in the time before fiction and journal entries. “The seeds of Japanese poetry lie in the human heart and grow into leaves of ten thousand words. Many things happen to the people of this world, and all they think and feel is given expression in description of things they see and hear. […] It is poetry which, without effort, moves heaven and earth, stirs the feelings of the invisible gods and spirits, smooths the relations of men and women, and calms the hearts of fierce warriors” (Rodd 35) The “leaves of ten thousand words” is in reference to the literal meaning of “Man'yōshū”, a very famous, large compilation of Japanese poems that has influenced many things following it.
"Music is a common experience and a large part of societies. In fact, anthropologists note that all human communities at all times and in all places, have engaged in musical behaviours. Music as a mode of human activity is a cultural phenomenon constituting a fundamental social entity as humans create music and create their relationship to music. As cultural phenomeno...
Japan has historically taken ideas from the United States on its business, merchandise, or other corporate sectors to improve within its political borders. These practices have become massive cultural and economic movements in Japan. Interestingly, Japan takes ideas and molds them into Japanese culture and style; therefore, these products are “Japanized.” To further elaborate on this statement, Japan has succeeded in its businesses and corporations such as the automobile industries around the world (for example, the NUMMI plant production transcended those of American automobile productions due to an enhanced Japanese corporate culture). Albeit many Japanese industries have roots in the United States, they have expanded globally. The music
Myths and Legends of Japan Japan has many myths believed to be true by the Japanese culture. Such as: "You can tell a person's character from their blood type". The Japanese creation myth starts off with brother and sister gods Izanagi and Izanani. They dipped a spear into the churning sea and when they pulled it out the drops that fell on the water surface became the islands of Japan. Next, the sun goddess Amaterasu, was created and was soon sent to heaven to rule over the world.
Throughout the semester, various styles of music and the aspects of culture associated with these styles have been analyzed. Musical elements such as dynamics, texture, form, timbre, melody, instruments, etc., have been used to thoroughly explore each kind of music from different areas of the world, with an emphasis in music from Africa, India and Indonesia. These aspects of music go far beyond just music itself. Culture also plays a huge role in music and the accompanying musical elements. Each country and culture has a different style and distinctiveness that add to what makes the music of that certain culture unique. Music in Africa may differ dramatically from music in Indonesia or India not only due to those certain elements but also due to how it is interpreted by people and what it represents for those people. In addition to this, what one may consider music in one culture may not be music to another. These differences have been made apparent in the several demonstrations that we have been exposed to in class.
Sonzai is constructed from 2 words; son and zai. Son means subjective self-subsistence or sustain over time. Zai means that the subject stays in the same places in which the word “places” refers to social places which consist of human relations, such as home, hotel, inn, etc. By putting these two words together, we get sonzai (human existence) which literally means self-sustenance of human relations. Although sonzai looks similar to ningen, they are quite different. Ningen refers to capability of being an individual and at the same time also being a member of a society. To sum up, ningen is mostly explaining about a person as an individual. Sonzai emphasizes the dynamic structure of human being, such as human relations which concerns about the relationship between one individual to others. However, sonzai can be said as the interconnection of the acts of ningen as sonzai describes what a person (ningen) does to others. According to Watsuji Tetsuo, we can combine both ningen and sonzai becomes “ningen sonzai” which refers to the subject, who is at once individual and social, and to society, who are at once singular and composite (Kalmanson, 2010).
The influence that music has throughout the world is immeasurable. Music evokes many feelings, surfaces old memories, and creates new ones all while satisfying a sense of human emotion. With the ability to help identify a culture, as well as educate countries about other cultures, music also provides for a sense of knowledge. Music can be a tool for many things: relaxation, stimulation and communication. But at the same time it can also be a tool for resistance: against parents, against police against power. Within the reign of imported culture, cross cultivation and the creation of the so-called global village lies the need to expand horizons to engulf more than just what you see everyday. It is important to note that the role of music in today’s world is a key tool in the process of globalization. However, this does not necessarily provide us with any reasons that would make us believe that music has a homogenizing affect on the world.
Also, music plays an important role in culture by being entertaining. Let's face it; people listen to music because it's exciting! It can affect a person's thoughts and feelings towards a particular subject, but not ultimately change their mind, which is what makes it so pleasurable. What else would put life in the world if music didn't? Music provides background music for almost everything in a person's everyday life. Try to imagine what television would be like without music. There would be no catchy jingles to stupid commercials that would end up getting stuck in your head for days and no theme songs to your favorite shows. Even a movie without sound would make you not want to watch it. Whether you think so or not, a soundtrack to a movie makes a person emote to the screenplay more- it makes you feel what the actors are feeling. That is what makes it so entertaining! If there were no songs to a movie, you might as well just not watch it at all. And what about a cell phone? How would you know when to pick up your phone if you didn't hear it ring your favorite song? Hearing that ring tone on a phone provides a small source of entertainment, but also serves a very important purpose.
Music has played a role in society since the dawn of man. Said to be the beginning of communication in early civilization, music and dance have influenced how we think, act and treat members of our own society. Song and dance is used in rites of passage ceremonies such as births, weddings and funerals throughout the world. Jamaican and Yoruba cultures have made many contributions to our society. The uses of this music as a vehicle for political issues, values, and beliefs have been used by many musicians from different cultures. I intend to discuss the Contribution of these two contemporary cultures music and their effect on society.