Kishibe Shigeo
Encyclopedia
Kishibe Shigeo was a Japan
ese musicologist specializing in the study of East Asian music.
in the district of Kanda-Jinbōchō, to Kishibe Fukuo, an educator and children’s writer. He was first exposed to music through music in his father’s stories, and made his first record and stage appearance at age 9 (by East Asian age reckoning
) and first appeared on the radio at age 14. As a teenager he became fascinated by Asian history. At this time he also met the eminent scholar of Japanese and Asian music Tanabe Hisao. In April 1933, he enrolled at the Tokyo Imperial University Division of Asiatic History of the Faculty of Letters, studying under Ikeuchi Hiroshi. He graduated in 1936, with a graduate thesis on modal systems of popular music of the Sui
and Tang
Dynasties.
Upon graduation he co-founded (with Iida Tadasumi) a new academic society for the study of Asian music, the Tōyō Ongaku Gakkai (Society for Research in Asiatic Music). During this period he was supported by grants from the Imperial Academy and the Keimei Foundation, and was active in colonial field research in Korea (visited in 1941) and China (visited in 1943). Upon these visits he encountered the surviving aak
and yayue
forms, as well as popular theatrical and instrumental forms. In the 1940s, he taught senior high school and lectured in Asian and Japanese music history.
From 1949 to 1973, he taught at the University of Tokyo
, first as an Associate Professor, as a full professor after 1961, and becoming Emeritus
Professor upon retiring. In this retirement he continued to teach as a professor at Teikyo University
until 1994. He also lectured at numerous other universities, including Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
, Soai Women's University, Niigata University
, Hirosaki University
, and Waseda University
. He was also a research fellow at Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. In 1957–58, 1962–63, and 1973–74, he visited the United States
and held visiting positions at Harvard University
, University of California Los Angeles, University of Hawaii
, University of Washington
, and Stanford University
. He also held advisory positions with several international organizations for music research. In 1982 he was invested with the Order of the Rising Sun
, 3rd class.
He married Sasaki Yori in 1941 and they had three children together. She was an eminent koto
and shamisen
player in her own right, and was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
, fourth class in 1992.
.
Although most of his research was historical in nature and dealt with very old music, he also conducted fieldwork in various regions in Japan, China, and other parts of Asia. To his students he emphasized the importance of having practical experience performing the music one studies. He himself played gagaku
(the shō and the hichiriki
), the nōkan, nagauta
, itchu-būshi, and the Chinese guqin
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese musicologist specializing in the study of East Asian music.
Life
Kishibe was born in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in the district of Kanda-Jinbōchō, to Kishibe Fukuo, an educator and children’s writer. He was first exposed to music through music in his father’s stories, and made his first record and stage appearance at age 9 (by East Asian age reckoning
East Asian age reckoning
East Asian age reckoning is a concept and practice that originated in China and is widely used by other cultures in East Asia, which share this traditional way of counting a person's age. Newborns start at one year old, and each passing of a Lunar New Year, rather than the birthday, adds one year...
) and first appeared on the radio at age 14. As a teenager he became fascinated by Asian history. At this time he also met the eminent scholar of Japanese and Asian music Tanabe Hisao. In April 1933, he enrolled at the Tokyo Imperial University Division of Asiatic History of the Faculty of Letters, studying under Ikeuchi Hiroshi. He graduated in 1936, with a graduate thesis on modal systems of popular music of the Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
Dynasties.
Upon graduation he co-founded (with Iida Tadasumi) a new academic society for the study of Asian music, the Tōyō Ongaku Gakkai (Society for Research in Asiatic Music). During this period he was supported by grants from the Imperial Academy and the Keimei Foundation, and was active in colonial field research in Korea (visited in 1941) and China (visited in 1943). Upon these visits he encountered the surviving aak
Aak
Aak is a genre of Korean court music. It is an imported form of Chinese ritual music. Aak is often labeled as "elegant music" in contrast with other traditional Korean music...
and yayue
Yayue
Yayue , Wade-Giles ya-yüeh; ; ; ) was originally a form of Chinese classical music that was performed at imperial courts. The basic conventions of yayue were established in the Western Zhou. Together with law and rites, it formed the formal representation of aristocratic political power...
forms, as well as popular theatrical and instrumental forms. In the 1940s, he taught senior high school and lectured in Asian and Japanese music history.
From 1949 to 1973, he taught at the University of Tokyo
University of Tokyo
, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...
, first as an Associate Professor, as a full professor after 1961, and becoming Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Professor upon retiring. In this retirement he continued to teach as a professor at Teikyo University
Teikyo University
is a private university headquartered in the Itabashi ward of Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1931 as Teikyo Commercial High School by Lee. It became Teikyo University in 1966...
until 1994. He also lectured at numerous other universities, including Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
or is one of the oldest and most prestigious art schools in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju, Adachi, Tokyo...
, Soai Women's University, Niigata University
Niigata University
is a national university in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1949 and has its major origins in Niigata Medical College and in Niigata Higher School . It is one of the largest Japanese national universities on the Sea of Japan.The university comprises nine faculties and...
, Hirosaki University
Hirosaki University
is a University in Hirosaki city in Aomori, Japan.- Faculties :* Faculty of Humanities* Faculty of Education* School of Medicine* Faculty of Science and Technology* Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science-History:...
, and Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. He was also a research fellow at Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. In 1957–58, 1962–63, and 1973–74, he visited the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and held visiting positions at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, University of California Los Angeles, University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He also held advisory positions with several international organizations for music research. In 1982 he was invested with the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, 3rd class.
He married Sasaki Yori in 1941 and they had three children together. She was an eminent koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...
and shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
player in her own right, and was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, fourth class in 1992.
Research
His book on the musical institutions of the Tang Dynasty, Tōdai ongaku no rekishiteki kenkyū: Gakusei-hen 唐代音楽の歴史的研究, was awarded the Japan Academy Prize in 1961. His last book, Edo jidai no koto-shi monogatari 江戸時代の琴士物語 [Tales of koto players during the Edo period], was awarded the Tanabe Hisao PrizeTanabe Hisao Prize
The Tanabe Hisao Prize was created in 1983 by the Tōyō Ongaku Gakkai , the oldest musicological society of Japan . The prize is named after the musicologist Tanabe Hisao , one of the founding members of the society...
.
Although most of his research was historical in nature and dealt with very old music, he also conducted fieldwork in various regions in Japan, China, and other parts of Asia. To his students he emphasized the importance of having practical experience performing the music one studies. He himself played gagaku
Gagaku
Gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto for several centuries. It consists of three primary repertoires:#Native Shinto religious music and folk songs and dance, called kuniburi no utamai...
(the shō and the hichiriki
Hichiriki
The is a double reed Japanese fue used as one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese gagaku music, the other being the ryūteki. The hichiriki is difficult to play, due in part to its double reed configuration. Although a double reed instrument like the oboe, the hichiriki has a cylindrical...
), the nōkan, nagauta
Nagauta
, literally "long song", is a kind of traditional Japanese music which accompanies the kabuki theater. They were developed around 1740. Influences included the vocal yōkyoku style used in noh theater, and instruments including the shamisen and various kinds of drums.The shamisen, a plucked lute...
, itchu-būshi, and the Chinese guqin
Guqin
The guqin is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family...
.