New Books in East Asian Studies

Margaret Mehl, "Music and the Making of Modern Japan: Joining the Global Concert" (Open Book, 2024)

Nov 23, 2024

Margaret Mehl, author of "Music and the Making of Modern Japan," dives into the dynamic role of Western classical music in Japan’s nation-building during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She discusses how this cultural exchange influenced Japan's modern identity, blending Western styles with traditional elements. Mehl also delves into the development of 'shulka,' educational songs that showcase this hybrid musical identity, and the impact of events like wars on local concert scenes. A fascinating exploration of how music shapes cultural narratives!

58:20

Episode guests

Margaret Mehl

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Western classical music played a vital role in Japan's nation-building and modernization, fostering social unity through communal performances.

The blending of Western and traditional Japanese music created a unique cultural identity, illustrating the adaptability of music in reflecting national pride.

Deep dives

The Role of Music in Japanese Modernization

Music played a crucial role in the processes of modernization in Japan from the 1870s to the early 1920s. It served more as a function rather than merely an artistic expression; leaders viewed Western music as superior not inherently, but in its suitability for modern functions. Traditional Japanese music faced marginalization during this period, yet it retained essential cultural significance. Active engagement with music, such as communal performances, fostered a sense of national identity and collective experience, which was vital in shaping modern Japanese society.

Intro

2min

Cultural Exchange Through Music

12min

Exploring the Hybrid Nature of Japanese Educational Songs and Musical Identity

4min

Cultural Harmonies: Japan and the West

17min

The Harmonious Shift: Sendai's Concert Scene (1907-1921)

6min

The Evolution of Japanese Music: Tradition Meets Modernization

13min

Margaret Mehl’s Music and the Making of Modern Japan: Joining the Global Concert (Open Book 2024) examines the ways in which Western classical (or “art”) music contributed to Japanese nation-building in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Mehl’s analysis of this critical half-century or so in modern Japanese history is sensitive to the power of the participative “musicking” in shaping shared understandings of national and local community and their place within a larger world. The book, which is split into the global, national, and local, also demonstrates that as much as Western art music shaped Japan, Japan shaped back. In doing so, “Japanese” music was defined in important ways that have continued to influence a sense of national self and culture.

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