| Heian period9th to 12th centuries |
Ōto no Kiyogami
(?–836) |
Japan’s first composer |
Owari no Hamanushi
(dates unknown) |
A dancer who danced out his life |
Wanibe no Ōtamaro
(798–865) |
A master flute-player and composer |
Fujiwara no Sadatoshi
(807–67) |
The master lute player who went to China |
Prince Sadayasu
(870–924) |
Master of both pipes and strings |
Minamoto no Hiromasa
(Hakuga no Sanmi, 918–80) |
A musician who softened even the hearts of thieves |
Minamoto no Tsunenobu
(1016–97) |
A lute player of many courtly talents |
Ōga no Motomasa
(1079–1138) |
A flute player of natural talent |
Fujiwara no Moronaga
(1138–92) |
A musician of all genres |
| Kamakura and Muromachi period13th to 16th centuries |
Koma no Chikazane
(1177–1242) |
The pioneering author of the first comprehensive music book |
Toyohara no Muneaki
(1450–1524) |
A musician of fine taste who taught the mouthorgan to the Emperor |
| Edo period17th to 19th centuries |
Abe no Suehisa
(1622–1708) |
The compiler of a gagaku encyclopedia |
Oka Masana
(1682–1759) |
Author of a representative early-modern music compendium |
| Meiji, Taisho and Showa period19th to 20th centuries |
Hayashi Hiromori
(1831–96) |
The court musician who selected the melody of Japan’s national anthem, Kimigayo |
Ue Sanemichi
(1851–1937) |
A composer of new melodies for the Japanese nation |
History
