A Dictionary of Traditional Japanese Musical Instruments: From Pre-history to the Edo Period by Sumi Gunji and Henry Johnson (review)

With this dictionary, organologists Sumi Gunji and Henry Johnson offer an extensive compilation of information on musical instruments and sound-producing objects of Japanese music material culture. It is a slightly modified translation of a Japanese-language dictionary published by Gunji in 2006, adjusting the perspective and writing style to suit the scholarly conventions of an English-speaking readership. While there are a number of earlier books in English on Japanese musical instruments, none cover the broad historical scope of this publication nor present the information in such a systematic manner. Gunji and Johnson have focused specifically on so-called traditional Japanese instruments, those that were known in Japan prior to the Meiji era (1868–1912), the period of Japan's profound modernization. The historical range covered is therefore vast, referencing the earliest existing textual and pictorial sources of now obsolete musical objects, up through traditional musical instruments still in use today. Consequently, entries vary greatly in length and degree of detail depending on available data, which the authors have gathered both in archives and through ethnographic research with living instrument makers, scholars, and specialists. Gunji and Johnson acknowledge in their preface that the dictionary cannot possibly cover all sound-producing objects of Japanese musical culture over such a vast period of time, but their corpus is thorough, comprising those used in an array of contexts over the centuries of Japan's recorded history, including court, theatrical, dance, folk, toy, military, signaling, and religious/ritualistic instruments.

Entries are listed in alphabetical order according to their well-known names, with the standard kanji (Japanese characters) provided for each and, when relevant, other common names and kanji provided with cross-referencing indicated. Up to 11 subheadings are given for each entry, depending on available data, with information systematically provided in each. The first subheading included in a given entry is the etymology of the instrument's name, in which the translation of the term is provided. The next contains information on the use of the instrument's name, clarifying, when relevant, the particular context in which that term is generally applied. Other names of the same or similar instruments that are applied in other contexts are then indicated. The instrument's classification according to the Hornbostel and Sachs system is provided as a means of offering information on the means of sound production for each instrument. An index using this classification system for many of the principal instruments described is given at the end of the book. The authors then provide information on the instrument's construction, covering matters of its materials, form, and dimensions. When possible, this subheading also includes a written description of the means of sound production. Next, information about the performance of the instrument is given when known, including an outline of playing techniques, playing positions, the pitch/range, and tunings. The context of performance and the history of each instrument are also discussed, followed by a list of similar instruments that are directly comparable to the main instrument of the entry. The last subheading offers a list of further references that provides supplemental information, which is given in addition to the sources cited within the main body of the text.

The research that Gunji and Johnson have undertaken to produce this dictionary is considerable, having consulted not only a great number of the major modern academic sources in both Japanese and English but also a wide range of historical documents (including both primary and scholarly sources), as well as living experts in instrument construction, history, use, and performance practice. The quantity of information this work provides is therefore considerable, and it is presented very methodically and in straightforward language, providing a useful reference for readers interested in a wide range of topics related to traditional Japanese...