Ooka no Nigiwai

Artifact Report

Kevin Heis

MUS 611
Dr. Price
December 1, 2008
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It was covered in a deep brown cardboard-like material, the front a collection of

beautifully scripted kanji1 written vertically, and images of women in kimono 2 and a

horse decorated the upper left. I found the koto music score of Imai Keishoʼs Ooka no

Nigiwai hidden on the highest shelf in the humble music collection in the Japanese

section of the Knight Library. Its musky smell and stained edges on the pages clearly

indicate the age of the artifact. At 22 centimeters wide, 30.5 centimeters tall, and about

1 centimeter thick, the score is not unusual in size; however, given its age and the time

it comes from, its contents are unusual. The item did not exist in the libraryʼs database

and had no barcode: I knew that I had found something unique.

Before the Score

On opening the cover, the first page is a title page, with the name of the piece,

the composerʼs name, and two of the publishing halls (not companies). The next page

features two large kanji, however the meaning of this page is still unknown to me. The

page after that is a dedication written in very scripted hiragana. While I can see some

characters I recognize, this would, like the previous page, take a serious Japanese

translator who understands Meiji period Japanese.

The next page is the lyrics of the piece, written vertically in a ornately handwritten

and scripted hiragana and kanji.3 The left side of the next page is an opening text, in

which the first part describes briefly the history of koto music, and the second part gives

1 Kanji is one of three traditional writing systems in Japanese, the most complex and ʻChineseʼ of the
three. The other two are hiragana and katakana, which are simpler and more ʻJapanese.ʼ Romaji is the
writing system that uses roman, or western, characters.
2 Traditional Japanese clothing.
3 Michiyo Goble, conversation, November 11, 2008.
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information about the composer.4 Unfortunately, a full translation of this text, as with the

lyrics and other text throughout the score is not readily feasible as it would require

intensive knowledge of Meiji Era Japanese. On the right hand side starts a description

of the tuning systems used in the piece. The left side of the next page describes some

of the techniques used throughout the piece and how they are notated. Finally, on the

right side of this page, the actual score begins.

The Score

On the top, written in historic kanji is the title Ooka no Nigiwai, and below that it is

written again in romaji. To the right we see credit given to three people: Imai Keisho,

the composer, and two performers. Also written on the top of the page are the words

hankumoi choshi, both in kanji and in romaji. I initially thought this was a name,

however, further research has indicated this is in fact the tuning system used in the

piece (trans. = half tone tuning).5 Over the next twenty-two pages is the score of the

piece itself; Iʼve estimated Ooka no Nigiwai takes about twenty minutes to perform in

total. The piece switches frequently between voice with koto and honte and kaede.6

Occasionally there is only voice or only honte. The complexity of the form of Ooka no

Nigiwai leads me to believe it would be classified as shin saku-uta within the Yamada-

ryu repertoire.7 The lyrics are written in hiragana, but there is no traditional koto score

notation anywhere in the score.

4 Michiyo Goble, conversation.

5Cathleen B. Read, “A study of Yamada-ryu sokyoku and its repertoire” [Diss., University of Texas at
Austin, 1975], 204.
6 Honte is the main koto part, kaede is the embellishing koto part. Eisi, History, 22.
7 I will discuss this later in the paper.
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Arrangement

After the main score, there are still twenty more pages of score. This is a

rearrangement of Ooka no Nigiwai, this time for piano and violin. There are lyrics written

in romaji, but they do not line up with either the violin or piano part; they line up with the

vocal part from the first part of the score. The piano part is very, very similar to the koto

part. This leads me to believe that the arrangement parts are meant for performances

with either voice, koto, piano, and violin or for voice, piano, and violin. The piece does

not look particularly difficult to perform on either the violin or piano parts.

Performance Place and Publishing Information

Finally, at the end is a page filled of information. On the top and bottom sections

is information on other scores, likely from the same printing house. In the center section,

from right to left, is the printing and publishing dates: August 1, Meiji 44 (1911) and

August 4, Meiji 44 (1911) respectively; the composersʼ original name, Imai Shintaro;8 the

printing company, Yasui Kyoshi; and two publishing companies, Doubunkan (Identical

Hall) and Tokyo Ongaku Shoin (Tokyo Music Hall).9 The names of these companies lead

me to believe certain things about this piece that I will discuss later in this paper. There

is more information on this final page than what I have written here; unfortunately, as

with much of this score, it requires intensive knowledge of Meiji Era Japanese.

8 Keisho is an ʻartistʼ name, it is not a normal given name in Japanese. Michiyo Goble, conversation.
9Michiyo Goble, conversation.
Self translation of kanji with assistance from
JTango [http://www.glpwd.com/jtango-web/],
JLex [http://jlex.org/search/parts], and
Jonathan Bunt and Gillian Hall, Oxford Japanese Dictionary [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000].
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Imai Keisho

The composer of Ooka no Nigiwai is Imai Keisho.10 This is the composerʼs artist

name, his real name was Imai Shintaro.11 Imai Keisho was a Tokyo sokyoku (koto

music) composer who lived from 1871 to 1947.12 The time when he exerted the most

influence on koto music was during the Meiji and Taisho eras, and he was particularly

active as a composer in the early 1930ʼs.13 Imai Keisho was a professor at the Tokyo

Ongaku Gakko (Tokyo Academy of Music) from 1898 until his shortly before his death.14

Imai Keisho was a composer of Yamada-ryu sokyoku.15 He was known for being

influenced by western culture as a composer,16 and the score itself has some unusual

characteristics that also indicate as such, which I will also discuss later in the paper.

While several recordings do exist of Imai Keishoʼs music, Ooka no Nigiwai is not

one of them. Included in the bibliography are recordings of Imai Keishoʼs music I have

come across in my research. Also, I have found a sokyoku anthology,17 a book on

sokyoku,18 both from Imai Keisho, as well as a book about Imai Keisho.19

10 Imai Keisho, Ooka no Nigiwai.

11 Ooka no Nigiwai last page. Meeting with Michiyo Goble.
12Eisi Kikkawa, A history of Japanese koto music and ziuta: with two CDs [Tokyo: Mita Press, 1997], 133.
Read, “Yamada-ryu.” Japanese Wikipedia articles.
13Far Side Music [http://www.farsidemusic.com/].
Read, “Yamada-ryu.”
14 Eisi, History, 133. Read, “Yamada-ryu.”
15 Yamada-ryu is a genre of koto music. Eisi, History, 57, 133. Read, “Yamada-ryu.”
16 Eisi, History, 57,133.
17 Imai Keisho and Murata Shosen, Yamada-ryu koto no kagami [Vol 1-13. Tokyo: Hakushindo, 1967].
18 Imai Keisho, Matsu no fukiyose: geidan zuihitsu or Geidan zuihitsu matsu no fukiyose [1935].
19 Fujita Shun, Imai Keisho geidan [1959].
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Interestingly, there is a list of fifty-one pieces from Imai Keisho listed in Cathleen

Readʼs dissertation: Ooka no Nigiwai is not listed as one of them. There is a gap in this

list, however, from 1906 to 1914.20

Meiji Era

Both the composerʼs lifetime, as well as the score of Ooka no Nigiwai, are rooted

in the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Immediately before Meijiʼs official ascension to the throne

were the years 1867-68, known as the Meiji Restoration. This is the time period in

Japanese history when the emperor was returned to power after more than two

centuries of bakufu (feudal) rule and it was a violent transition.21

The Meiji Era gave birth to a new constitution for Japan and the creation of a

democratic-like government. A national land tax was instilled, the class system

banished, and a national military was born.22

Many foreign experts in various fields were brought to Japan by the Japanese

government, and Japanese people were also sent to the west.23 The intention of the

Meiji government was to modernize Japan, and drew a great deal of influence from

western culture.24 The Meiji Era is often referred to as the industrial revolution of Japan

because of the rebuilding of the Japanese economy that occurred under emperor

20 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 51.

21Kenneth G. Henshall, A History of Japan: from Stone Age to Superpower [New York: Macmillan Press,
1999], 66-70.
John Benson and Takao Matsumura, Japan, 1868-1945: From Isolation to Occupation [San Francisco:
Pearson Education, 2001], ch. 2.
Louis G. Perez, The History of Japan [Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998], 89-91.
22 Henshall, History, 73. Bensen, Japan, ch 2. Perez, History, 94-95.
23 Henshall, History, 75-79. Bensen, Japan, ch 4. Perez, History, 101-102.
24 Henshall, History, 75-79. Bensen, Japan, ch 4. Perez, History, 101-102.
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Meiji.25 Factories, railroads, universities, banks, and post offices are a few examples of

things that developed in Japan during the Meiji Era.26 The Meiji Era is also known as the

time of the creation of the zaibatsu (conglomerates).27

Japanese nationalism grew stronger, and in correlation with that, the military

grew in prowess.28 The Japanese government began to use their military in the later

Meiji Era: invasions of Korea, the Sino-Japanese War in 1884-1885 and the Russo-

Japanese war in 1904-1905 being the two clearest examples.29 In a comparatively short

period of time, “Japan had gone from being virtually dismissed by the west as an

obscure and rather backward country to being recognized as a major world power.”30

Genres of Koto Music

Just as western music has had different time periods, so too has koto music. The

koto originated from China, and developed over the centuries.31 The first known genre

of koto music is called Tsukushi-goto, and comes from the 16th century, which for the

first time used the koto to accompany voice.32 In the 17th century, the genre of Kumi-ita

25 Perez, History, 101.

26 Bensen, Japan, ch 4-5. Perez, History, 100.
27 Bensen, Japan, 100. Perez, History, 103.
28 Henshall, History, 88-93. Bensen, Japan, ch 4.
29 Henshall, History, 88-93. Bensen, Japan, ch 4. Perez, History, 116-124.
30 Henshall, History, 102.
31Henry Johnson, The Koto: A Traditional Instrument in Contemporary Japan. [Amsterdam: Hotei
Publishing, 2004], 30
32Shigeo Kishibe,The Traditional Music of Japan [Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha Corporation, 1984],
55-56.
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was born, which used a different tuning system from Tsukushi-goto and was played for

different audiences.33 This opened up koto music performance to women.34

In the end of the 17th century was a koto player named Ikuta Kengyo who

invented a genre of koto music, known as Ikuta-ryu, mixing shamisen35 and koto.36

Pieces were later developed into altering between shamisen with koto and voice with

koto, known as Tegotomono.37 The genre that Ooka no Nigiwai belongs to, Yamada-ryu,

was created by the koto player Yamada Kengyo in the beginning of the 19th century.38

Yamada-ryu

The two dominating schools of koto music in 1911 were Ikuta-ryu, which is

associated with the western half of Honshu, the main island of Japan; and Yamada-ryu,

associated with the eastern half of Honshu.39 The actual koto itself, the instrument, is

different in different schools of koto music. Yamada-ryu koto, or Yamadagoto, are larger

in size than earlier koto, are not as ornate in detail, and have more rounded features.40

Yamada-ryu also differs from other genres of koto music in that its works are composed

33Shigeo, Traditional, 56.

Scott Robertson, Koto no Koto [http://www.kotonokoto.org].
34 Kotonokoto.org
35 Traditional Japanese plucked string instrument.
36 Shigeo, Traditional, 56. Music in Japan, 68. Kotonokoto.org.
37 Shigeo, Traditional, 56.
38 Shigeo, Traditional, 56. Music in Japan, 70.
39 Johnson, Koto, 97.
40 Johnson, Koto, 41.
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by koto players, and the composers are known.41 The Hogakusha Publishing Company

is one of the major publishers of Yamada-ryu koto music scores.42

Yamada Kengyoʼs compositions were different from early genres in that there

were mostly vocal, known as utamono.43 The works in Yamada-ryu are vocally

demanding, usually spanning more than two octaves.44 Yamada-ryu emphasizes vocal

music,45 and narrative stories.46 A review of the book Anthology of Sokyoku and Jiuta

Song Texts47 shows that Yamada-ryu song lyrics tend to come from a variety of sources:

noh plays, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian folk stories, Japanese history, as well as

shinto and a respect of nature.48 Many pieces served for ceremonies.49 Texts in sokyoku

(koto music) are generally not understood by the Japanese public: old and honorific

grammar and vocabulary, as well as use of metaphors limits the publicʼs understanding

of the lyrics.50 The Meiji government attempted to and failed to create censored and

more contemporary alternative lyrics for koto music.51

41 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 44.

42 Bonnie Wade, Tegotomono [Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1976], 197.
43 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 51.
44 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 61.
45Bonnie Wade, Music in Japan: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture [Oxford University Press,
2004], 69.
William Malm, Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments [Kodansha International, 2001], 199.
46 Wade, Music in Japan, 69.
47 Tsuge Genichi, Anthology of Sokyoku and Jiuta Song Texts [Tokyo: Academia Music, 1983].
48 Tsuge, Anthology, Part III.
49 Tsuge, Anthology, Part III.
50 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 76.
51 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 76.
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There are more than 350 pieces in the Yamada-ryu repertoire, but only 100 are

considered standard.52 There are five types of music in Yamada-ryu sokyoku: kumiuta,

saku-uta, shin saku-uta (anything ʻnewʼ), tegotomono (unusual in Yamada-ryu), and

jorurimono (arrangements from shamisen music).53 Tegotomono typically follows the

pattern of vocal section, instrumental section, then vocal section in form.54 Yamada

Kengyoʼs Aoi no Ue is called the “greatest utamono” in Yamada-ryu sokyoku.55

The first well known composer to attempt to bridge the gap between western

music and koto music was Miyagi Michio.56 Imai Keisho, the composer of Ooka no

Nigiwai, lived in the same time period as Miyagi Michio and was heavily influenced by

his work.57 Miyagi Michiyo brought a great deal of older Ikuta-ryu as well as new

Yamada-ryu koto compositions into western notation.58

Another possible influence of western notation is Umeda Isokichi, who published

a book on the process of westernizing Japanese notation in 1888.59 Later Yamada-ryu

pieces clearly demonstrated their western influence, with an emphasis on harmony and

larger ensembles.60 Western notation was used in Yamada-ryu increasingly over time

52 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 42-43.

53Willem Adriaansz, The Kumiuta and Danmono Traditions of Japanese Koto Music [Berkeley, Cal.:
University of California Press, 1973], 19.
54Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 39.
Henry Burnett, "An Introduction to the History and Aesthetics of Japanese Jiuta-Tegotomono" [Asian
Music 11, no. 2, 1980], 11.
55 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 109.
56 Shigeo, Traditional, 57. Wade, Music in Japan, 70. Malm, Traditional, 200.
57 Eisi, History, 57.
58 Wade, Tegotomono, 196.
59 Wade, Tegotomono, 196.
60 Eisi, History, 132.
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because of the growing number of instrumental segments as well as vocal pieces with

longer instrumental sections.61

Westernization in Ooka no Nigiwai

While my information on the score itself is limited, my research has time and

again come across a theme: westernization. This score of Ooka no Nigiwai represents

westernization in many ways. The most obvious is the complete lack of traditional koto

score notation: everything in this score is completely in western notation. Secondly, the

heavily use of romaji throughout in addition to the original kanji or hiragana points to this

idea. The two pages before the voice and koto score are a reference for traditional koto

players of how to interpret the western score.

Another sign is the rearrangement at the end of the voice and koto only score: it

is completely in romaji, with absolutely no kanji, hiragana, or katakana, and it is for violin

and piano, two very western instruments. Even the opening paragraph summarizing the

history of koto music and giving information on the composer all points to

westernization. Perhaps Imai Keisho or the printing company saw this as future-proofing

Ooka no Nigiwai, so that this music would out-survive traditional koto music.

Hypotheses on Ooka no Nigiwai

There are more theories about this score that my research brought up. There is

evidence to suggest that Imai Keisho wrote several pieces with nationalistic intentions.62

The name Ooka no Nigiwai is difficult to translate, but ooka means cherry blossom

petals, no is a possessive particle (similar to ʻs), and nigiwai can mean busyness,

61 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 45.

62 Read, “Yamada-ryu,” 152.
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liveliness, activity, or prosperity and often is used to describe a city or urban area: one

could translate it as The Lively Cherry Blossom Petals.63 The sakura, or cherry blossom,

is a symbol of Japan and could indicate the lyrics are nationalistic or patriotic in nature.

This could also be a reference to when the sakura bloom each year in late March

or early April, which is also near the vernal equinox (a Japanese national holiday).

Given the printing date of August 1, 1911 and its publishing date of August 4, 1911, this

seems unlikely. Further translation of the score and research on Imai Keisho would

bring to light the validity of these hypotheses and also create some new ones.

Another interesting note is that the piece is not listed in Cathleen Readʼs

dissertation as the fifty-one pieces Imai Keisho composed, and both of the publishers

listed are performance halls. This leads me to believe that Ooka no Nigiwai is somewhat

of a unique, and perhaps was written for a specific ceremony or event. It was still

printed, however. Although I have not been able to find other copies of the score in the

United States or Japan, they likely exist. Someone felt the need to preserve this piece of

music.

Conclusion

I have provided as much information as I have found on Ooka no Nigiwai. There

are unfortunately many things I do not know about this piece. I have given it as much

context as I can provide. Further research on Imai Keisho, as well as the printing

company and the two performance halls, could give more information than I have

provided in this paper. For now, many things about Ooka no Nigiwai will remain a

mystery.

63 Self translation of kanji with assistance from JTango, JLex, and the Oxford Japanese Dictionary. [see 9]
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Bibliography

“四季.” Wikipedia. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/四季/ [accessed Oct 25, 2008].

“日本芸術院.” Wikipedia. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/日本芸術院/ [accessed Oct 25,

2008].

Adriaansz, Willem. The Kumiuta and Danmono Traditions of Japanese Koto Music.
Berkeley, Cal.: University of California Press, 1973.

Benson, John, and Takao Matsumura. Japan, 1868-1945: From Isolation to Occupation.
San Francisco: Pearson Education, 2001.

Bunt, Jonathan and Gillian Hall. Oxford Japanese Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2000.

Burnett, Henry. "An Introduction to the History and Aesthetics of Japanese Jiuta-
Tegotomono." Asian Music 11, no. 2 (1980): 11-40.

Eisi Kikkawa. A history of Japanese koto music and ziuta: with two CDs. Tokyo: Mita
Press, 1997.

Far Side Music. http://www.farsidemusic.com/acatalog/KOTO__SHAKUHACHI.html

[accessed Nov 25, 2008].

Henshall, Kenneth G. A History of Japan: from Stone Age to Superpower. New York:
Macmillan Press, 1999.

Imai Keisho. Ooka no nigiwai.

Johnson, Henry. The Koto: A Traditional Instrument in Contemporary Japan.

Amsterdam: Hotei Publishing, 2004.

Malm, William. Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments. Kodansha

International, 2001.

Perez, Louis G. The History of Japan. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998.

Read, Cathleen B. “A study of Yamada-ryu sokyoku and its repertoire.” Diss., University
of Texas at Austin, 1975.

Robertson, Scott. Koto no Koto. http://www.kotonokoto.org [accessed Nov 25, 2008].

Shigeo Kishibe. The Traditional Music of Japan. Tokyo: Ongaku no Tomo Sha
Corporation, 1984.
 Heis 14

Tsuge Genichi. Anthology of Sokyoku and Jiuta Song Texts. Tokyo: Academia Music,
1983.

Wade, Bonnie. Music in Japan: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. Oxford

University Press, 2004.

Wade, Bonnie. Tegotomono. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1976.

 Heis 15

Recordings of Imai Keisho no Ongaku

“都の春/今井慶松.” 日本伝統文化振興財団. CD. 2008.

“寿くらべ/今井慶松.” 日本伝統文化振興財団. CD. 2008.

“八段/今井慶松.” 日本伝統文化振興財団. CD. 2008.

“奇跡の復刻盤 今井慶松.” 日本伝統文化振興財団. CD. 2006.

Eisi Kikkawa. A history of Japanese koto music and ziuta: with two CDs. Tokyo: Mita
Press, 1997.

Garfias, Robert. http://media2.nacs.uci.edu/rgarfias/mp3/japan/japan.html [accessed

Nov 25, 2008].

International Shakuhachi Society, The. Komuso. http://www.komuso.com/ [accessed Oct

25, 2008].

Meijin no Shigei. 12 LPs. Japan: Victor, 1967.

Robertson, Scott. Koto no Koto. http://www.kotonokoto.org [accessed Oct 25, 2008].

Sokyoku jiuta taikei. Bikutā Entateinmento Kabushiki Kaisha. 20 CDs. 1986.

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Other Resources

“今井慶松芸談―附・伝記と作曲集 (1959年) [古書].” 日本音楽社, 1959.

Fujita Shun. Imai Keisho geidan. 1959.

Groemer, G. "A history of Japanese Koto music and Ziuta." Monumenta Nipponica 53,
no. 1 (1998): 130-35.

Imai Keisho. Matsu no fukiyose: geidan zuihitsu. or Geidan zuihitsu matsu no fukiyose.
1935.

Imai Keisho and Murata Shosen. Yamada-ryu koto no kagami. Vol 1-13. Tokyo:
Hakushindo, 1967.

Komiya Toyotaka, ed. Japanese Music and Drama in the Meiji Era. Trans. Edward
Seidensticker and Donald Keene. Tokyo: Obunsha, 1956.

Kubota Satoko. "A Guide to the Basic Literature and Records for Research in Jiuta and
Sokyoku." Trans. by Yamaguchi Osamu. Hogaku 1(1): 93-122, 1983.

Tsuge Genichi. Japanese Music: an Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland

Publishing, 1986.