“Japanese Traditions”: Japanese Festival Music (Jun Hōgaku)
Festival hayashi music is indispensable to Japanese festivals.
It’s music performed with traditional Japanese instruments—such as taiko drums, flutes, and small gongs—sounds that every Japanese person has likely heard somewhere.
Classified as pure traditional Japanese music, festival hayashi has long been performed and cherished at festivals across the country.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide variety of such local festival hayashi!
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"Japanese Traditions" Japanese Festival Music of Traditional Japanese Music (1–10)
Tsugaru Joppari Taiko
The Tsugaru Joppari Taiko, performed during the Hirosaki Neputa Festival—one of the four major festivals held in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture—features a giant drum with a diameter of 3.
3 meters.
Based on a legend that the third feudal lord, Nobuyoshi, had it made as a source of local pride, it was constructed in 1970 by the Tsugaru Joppari Odaiko Preservation and Support Association.
This massive drum leads the joint parade.
The sound, resonating with the flute melody, combined with its imposing appearance, is truly overwhelming!
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival Hayashi
This musical accompaniment is performed at the Danjiri Festival held every September in Kishiwada, Osaka.
Known as the ‘Danjiri-bayashi,’ these instruments—collectively called narimono—are indispensable to the festival.
Its approach to rhythm differs somewhat from conventional musical meter, and that distinctive pulse is one of the factors that heightens the festive atmosphere.
The drums, gongs, and shinobue flutes all carry tremendous energy and impact, seeming to embody the driving force of the Danjiri Festival itself.
Another hallmark is that the feel changes between day and night: during the day, the youth association performs the music, while at night the children play the drums, allowing you to enjoy two different flavors.
Ishioka I-gumi Hayashi
It’s a lively festival hayashi that vividly brings the scene to life.
This traditional music is performed at the Hitachi-no-kuni Soshagu Grand Festival in Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and its distinctive rhythms woven by drums, flutes, and shō are captivating.
There are various pieces such as “Sangiri,” “Hyottoko,” and “Okame,” each accompanied by its own style of dance that’s well worth seeing.
Listening to these pieces, performed each September during the festival, lets you feel the depth of Japan’s traditional culture.
Carefully passed down by the local community, this music is something any lover of classical Japanese music will surely want to experience live at least once.
“Japanese Tradition” — Japanese Festival Music (Hogaku) of Japan (11–20)
Heguri Festival Music
Heguri Hayashi conveys the excitement and fervor of the festival.
The unique rhythms and melodies woven by drums and flutes are deeply rooted in the hearts of local people.
An episode saying it was influenced by the splendid floats seen in Kyoto on the return from a pilgrimage to Ise at the end of the Edo period further enhances the music’s allure.
Carefully preserved as a regional cultural heritage, this traditional festival music has also been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Chiba Prefecture.
If you want to feel the atmosphere of a festival firsthand, or if you’re interested in traditional Japanese music, be sure to listen closely.
Nukui Hayashi
The traditional ohayashi dedicated at Nukui Shrine in Koganei City, Tokyo, is performed at local festivals and events, delighting listeners.
Originating in the late Edo period, this music—combining drums, flutes, and dance—plays a vital role in heightening the festive atmosphere.
Performances of ohayashi are also recognized as efforts to strengthen community bonds, and their appeal is being shared with children through school workshops and hands-on instrument experiences.
If you’re interested in traditional Japanese music or the preservation of local culture, why not take the time to listen closely?
Hokota Hayashi
Festival music that symbolizes traditional Japanese culture.
Performed at the summer festival of Hokota Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture, which has been held for over 400 years, this piece is deeply rooted in the hearts of local people.
Its appeal lies in the rich sonic breadth woven by Japanese taiko drums, flutes, and the crisp tones of the small gong (suri-gane).
There are various pieces, each imbued with wishes and stories that set listeners’ hearts dancing.
As music that strengthens community bonds, it is actively passed down to younger generations, reflecting its enduring place as a beloved form of traditional Japanese music.
Sumida Festival Music (Minowa Festival Music)
Sumida-bayashi has been carefully passed down and performed at local festivals and events by the Minowake-ryu Sumida Bayashi Preservation Society, founded in 1958.
The powerful rhythms woven by the odaiko and shime-daiko drums, the shinobue flute, and the kane bell captivate listeners and won’t let go.
Hearing this piece instantly conjures up the lively atmosphere of a festival.
It’s music that anyone interested in the charm of festival music—and in Japan’s traditional culture more broadly—should experience.
Listening to a live performance at a local festival would make for a wonderful experience as well.