Paper short abstract:

In the ancient Japanese court, different performance groups were used according to the ceremony, appropriate to the nature of the participants’ subordination to the emperor. By contrast, the Chinese court had developed its own ritual performance system to harmonize and maintain the universal order.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines some of the political functions of music and dance performances in important rites of the ancient Japanese court, with comparison to Chinese court music.

Many official rites in the ancient Japanese court included music and dance by court performance groups. Why did the court maintain these distinct groups, since their repertoires and sometimes even personnel, were nearly identical? Key to resolving this question is the relationship between emperor and participants or subjects established/confirmed there. Different performance groups were used according to the ceremony, appropriate to the nature of the participants’ subordination to the emperor.

The original music and dance organization, the Gagakuryō, was established at the beginning of the eighth century by the Ritsuryō code and performed at rituals representing the social order based on that code. It is remarkable that an additional music group rose to prominence when imperial governance underwent renovation: a pre-existing female performing group first experienced greater renown at the beginning of the ninth century, during the reign of an emperor who wished to establish his own close circle of aides without legal restriction. Moreover, bodyguard agencies were obliged to perform in ceremonies at which the allegiant might dedicate themselves to their great master as a symbol of their subjection.

By contrast, the Chinese court, from which Japan introduced the Ritsuryō code as well as music and instruments, had developed its own highly elaborated ritual performance system from the second century BC. According to a historian in ancient China, it aimed to harmonize and maintain the universal order. Comparing both courts and their rituals, it will be seen that each ceremonial performance system also represented differences in the ideology of sovereignty in China and Japan.

This study provides useful consideration of the importance of ritual music and dance performance in imperial society—not simply as royal entertainment, but for maintenance of the social order as well as a ruling mechanism.