Miyajima and Kamakura
In the 12th to 13th century, from the end of the Heian into the Kamakura period, the power of the noble class waned, and the warrior class gained strength. This was a time when gagaku was at its strongest in court society. Warriors of the Heike (Taira) clan, the first of the warrior clans to gain power at court, studied gagaku as part of court culture, and some, such as the lute (biwa) player Taira no Tsunemasa, were so proficient that they were regarded as masters. Taira no Kiyomori, the leader of the clan, introduced bugaku dance into ceremonies celebrated at Itsukushima Jinja on Miyajima, and the shrine continues this tradition today.
The military Genji (Minamoto) clan, too, invested in gagaku performance. The clan leader Minamoto no Yoritomo established a Court Music Office at Tsurugaoka Hanchimangū in Kamakura, and summoned court musicians from the capital Kyoto to staff it. At ceremonies held there, boys from Hakone and Izusan shrines danced children’s dances. Kangen instrumental performances were held aboard boats close to the Kamakura coast.
Although gagaku is a product of the court society of the Heian period (9th to 12th centuries), it was also cultivated and protected by the military rulers of succeeding periods.
