Lost melodies linger here. The \u6821\u6b4c\u306e\u7891 remembers songs. School songs are special to Japan. They echo through generations.
Welcome to the \u6821\u6b4c\u306e\u7891. It is a monument to music. This spot honors \u6821\u6b4c. These are the shōka songs taught in Japanese public schools. Shōka means singing.
Let’s delve into the history of shōka. In 1872 Japan’s Meiji government created the first educational constitution. It was called Gakusei. Shōka was set up as a subject. Elementary schools would teach it. There were not enough teaching materials. The subject was not taught much.
Japanese court musicians stepped in. They composed most of the music for kindergartens. They knew Japanese and Western music. In 1878 they created Kazaguruma or Windfans. The Tokyo Women’s Teacher College commissioned it.
In 1879 the government formed Ongaku Torishirabe Gakari. This was the Musical Investigation Committee. It decided how to teach music in schools. Isawa Shūji became the first principal. He wanted to mix Western and Eastern music. This would create new national music. The committee studied music history and theory. They looked at music around the world. Izawa concluded that Western and Oriental music were similar. This appeared in the first report.
The first official shōka songbook came out in 1881. It was called Shōgaku-shōka-shū. It was mostly Western folk tunes. Japanese lyrics were added. Japanese educator Isawa Shūji helped. American music educationist Luther Whiting Mason also helped. Language experts joined the team. The first edition had 33 songs. Only three were original. Court musician Fujitsune Shiba composed two. Mason’s National Music Course provided the rest. American music textbooks were used.
In 1888 privately published shōka collections began to appear. The Ministry of Education saw the value. Western songbooks could unite citizens.
The Musical Investigation Committee became the Tokyo Music School in 1890. They hired German musicians. They stopped teaching Japanese music. Textbooks mixing Western melodies and Japanese text still appeared.
By 1893 the Ministry of Education chose eight shōka songbooks for Imperial Holidays. These books preferred traditional Japanese Pentatonic scales. They were more familiar to Japanese people. Shōka became more popular.
Shōka composers chose text first. They composed the melody later. They used Western notation. They also used Ritsu scales from Gagaku. Gagaku music was noble. It was harmless. It was the model for shōka.
Public schools preferred Western instruments. Pianos and organs were common. Koto and kokyū were not preferred. Some songbooks included tunes in Japanese scales. Some had songs for shamisen.
Standing before the \u6821\u6b4c\u306e\u7891 we remember these songs. They represent a blend of cultures. This blend shaped Japanese identity. This monument preserves that history. It keeps the melodies alive.