Abstract

In the 1920s and early 30s, in progress of modernization and Westernization, Japanese culture was keenly seeking its identity, appropriate to the modern nation-state. Movement of renovation flourished in many "traditional" genres of Japanese music: introduction of Western musical instruments, musical forms, notational system etc. The tide of this "renovation" swept into the realm of shamisen music of geishas. Many intellectuals advocated that they wear Western dresses instead of Japanese kimono and play violin or mandolin instead of shamisen. And actually there emerged many geisha girls singing their songs accompanied by Western instruments as piano. But this movement lasted not so long. These "modern" geishas, once intended to renovate irrational system of their community, were soon given exclusive contracts with big record companies and removed their name from the member list of geisha houses. Their "modern" songs with Western style has evolved into new genre kayo-kyoku , and, on the other hand, traditional genres like hauta and kouta, in which new songs had been constantly composed till then, became inert ones whose repertoire is not expanded any more. This change, derived from record industry, strongly influenced the condition of cultural identity of Japanese people