Reception of Western Music in Meiji Japan: A Music Transfer Approach

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25370749
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Historical studies in general
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Takenaka Toru 大阪大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (90163427)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 明治日本 / 西洋音楽 / ワーグナー / 伊沢修二 / 幸田延 / ディトリヒ / 島崎赤太郎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project aims to examine how and why reception of Western music went ahead swiftly and sweepingly in Meiji Japan though Western music was extremely strange to the native music culture. This can be seen as rare case of music transfer.
The research shows 1. the incongrousness immanent to Wester music was neutralized by degrading it as tool; 2. Western music provided the "losers of Restoration" with alternatives to compensate their deprivations in a psychological and material way; 3. Western music served as ideological means for the "rebellious" youth to express their discontent with status quo of Meiji society.

Free Research Field

西洋史学