18th International Meeting

StubickeToplice
Croatia

13-17 April, 2011

at the invitation of

Institut za etnologiju i folkloristiku

Rinko Fujita, 
Japan/Austria
rinko.fujita@gmail.com

Tofu-Rappa: Adaptation of Reed Aerophones in Japan

It is a historical fact that in the process of interacting with foreign countries Japan has always adapted new cultural forms and enriched gradually its own culture.
In the 6th century when religions and the various kinds of knowledge were brought into Japan, the music and musical theories, as well as the musical instruments were also brought from the continent. In the course of adaptation they were selected and modified according to the necessities and sound preferences of Japanese. Consequently, a number of new musical genres and new types of instruments derived from them. On the other hand, the instruments which were inadaptable to the new music environment had disappeared in the course of history.

However, some kind of musical instruments were removed from their original context and "survived" in a new social environment. One of the remarkable examples can be observed in the adaptation of reed aerophone in Japan: In contrast to the other Asian counties, where the reed aerophones have great importance in their music traditions, in Japan the reed aerophone is, in general, rarely used for music performance. On the other hand, the instrument is adapted in the new social environment and used for a specific purpose; namely, used as a signal instrument by street peddlers.

The paper focuses on the reed aerophones in Japan, especially on the "tofu-rappa" used by tôfu street peddler. The adaptation process and the current application, as well as the sonic characteristics of the instrument will be examined. And the interrelation between human voice and instrumental sounds will be discussed in this context.