Abstract:

Transcending space and time for hundred and thousands of years, Gagaku, the traditional music of the Japanese Imperial Court, represents the spirit of an ancient time. Gagaku was introduced from its continental birthplace to Japan between the 5th to the 9th century, becoming fused with ancient Japanese music and adopted in the Nara and Heian periods as the traditional music of the Japanese Imperial Court, a tradition which continues to the present. Gagaku is the oldest orchestral music in the world.