Japan

• Chinese traditional music


  Based on the five-tone scale or pentatonic scale, written in duple meter in a single melodic line or in strophic form, northern Chinese folk music often uses the seven-tone scale or heptatonic scale
• Chinese music notation

  Ideograms or symbols were used
• Chinese wind instruments

  • Hsiao (end-blown flute)
  • Sona (shawn-like instrument)
• Japanese wind instruments

  • Sho (mouth organ)
  • Shakuhachi (bamboo flute)
  • Fu'ye (side-blown flute)
  • Hichiriki (oboe-like instrument)
• Japanese string instruments

  • Koto (zither)
  • Shamisen (flat-backed lute)
  • Biwa (lute)
• Japanese percussion instruments

  • Kakko (gagaku drum)
  • Da-daiko (huge gagaku drum)
  • Kotsuzumi (hourglass-shaped instrument)
  • Shoko (gong instrument)
• Peking Opera


  Roots from the ancient ritual dance, the Yuan and the Ming Romance, recognized as a national art form, characterized by simplicity, symbolism and synchronization, derives plots from folklore, popular novels and historical events, upholds traditional Chinese values, includes recitation dialogue, song, theatrical adaptation of traditional Chinese martial arts combined with acrobatics and pantomime
• Peking Opera is a musical art form, combines singing, heightened speech, mime, dancing, literature, theater and acrobatics
• Peking Opera traces its roots from the ancient ritual dance, the Yuan and the Ming Romance
• Peking Opera is recognized and considered as a national art form
• Peking Opera


  • Simplicity
  • Symbolism
  • Synchronization
• Most Peking Opera operas derive their plots from folklore, popular novel and historical events
• Peking Opera upholds the Chinese traditional values which help educate the youth
• Four dramatic elements of Peking Opera

  • Recitation dialogue
  • Song
  • Theatrical adaptation of traditional Chinese martial arts combined with acrobatics
  • Pantomime