Musical History and Styles

 

The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 on (sound) with the kanji 楽 gaku (enjoy).[1] Japan is the largest physical music market in the world, worth US$2 billion in sales in physical formats in 2014, and the second-largest overall music market, worth a total retail value of 2.6 billion dollars in 2014[2] – dominated by Japanese artists, with 37 of the top 50 best-selling albums[3] and 49 of the top 50 best-selling singles in 2014.[4]

Local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels. Traditional Japanese music differs markedly from Western music, as it is often[quantify] based on the intervals of human breathing rather than on mathematical timing.

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Traditional musical styles

 

Taiko
Biwa hōshi, Heike biwa, mōsō and goze
Min'yō folk music
Okinawan folk music

 

Modern musical styles

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Japanoise

Electronica

Game music

J-pop

Jazz

Hip Hoop

Traditional instruments

* Biwa (琵琶)
* Fue (笛)
* Hichiriki (篳篥)　
* Hocchiku (法竹)
* Hyōshigi (拍子木)
* Kane (鐘)
* Kakko (鞨鼓)
* Kokyū (胡弓)
* Koto (琴)
* Niko (二胡)
* Okawa (AKA Ōtsuzumi) (大鼓)
* Ryūteki (竜笛)
* Sanshin (三線)
* Shakuhachi (bamboo flute) (尺八)
* Shamisen (三味線)
* Shime-Daiko (締太鼓)
* Shinobue (篠笛)
* Shō (笙)
* Suikinkutsu (water zither) (水琴窟)
* Taiko (i.e. Wadaiko) 太鼓～和太鼓
* Tsuzumi (鼓) (AKA Kotsuzumi)
 

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For more indepth information go to : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Japan

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