Shōka (music)

History#

In 1872, the Meiji government promulgated the first educational constitution called and set up as a subject in elementary schools. However, the subject was not taught due to the lack of teaching materials. Japanese court musicians composed most of the music for kindergarten, such they were the only musicians with knowledge in Japanese and Western music. In 1878, they composed Kazaguruma (Windfans), commissioned by the Tokyo Women’s Teacher College. In 1890, Musical Investigation Committee changed its name to Tokyo Music School and hired German musicians, and stopped teaching Japanese music. However, music textbooks that mixed Western melodies with Japanese text for school appeared after Shogaku Shokashu. In 1893, the Ministry of Education selected eight shōka songbooks for Imperial Holidays. In this book, songs with traditional Japanese Pentatonic scale were preferred, instead of the western diatonic scale. In this way, shōka songs sounded more familiar to Japanese people and got more popularity.

Characteristics#

Composers used to choose an appropriate text and then compose the melody, written in Western notation but with the tonality of the Ritsu scales used in Gagaku. Gagaku music was the model for shōka as it was considered noble and harmless.

See also#

• Gunka
• Music of Japan
• Translated songs (Japanese)