The Art of Marimba in Tokyo: Emergence in the Twentieth Century

The marimba emerged as a leading voice in contemporary Western art music in the twentieth century. This is due to several key factors: principally the extraordinary contribution composers and performers made to marimba repertoire in Tokyo after 1960. In this paper I will briefly outline the evolution of Western classical music in Japan, from its initial introduction in the latter part of the nineteenth century, to the proliferation of performing arts organizations in the late twentieth century. I will also explore the origins of the xylophone and marimba in Japan and the rise of the marimba through virtuoso performers, competitive instrument manufacturers and (most importantly) leading composers including commissioning practices, funding models and repertoire development. Information to support this paper was gathered in November, 2014 through personal interviews conducted by the author with performers and composers in Tokyo, Japan. These participants include marimbists Keiko Abe, Mutsuko Fujii, Michiko Takahashi, Sumire Yoshihara and composers Norio Fukushi, Jo Kondo, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Tokuhide Niimi, Yasuo Sueyoshi and Katsuhiro Tsubonoh; all of whom were some of the most active contributors to the development of the marimba in Japan in the late twentieth century and whose work is internationally celebrated. Most importantly, connections are identified between these performers, composers, instrument manufacturers, presenting organizations and funding systems that nurtured an environment for these marimba works to be created.D.M.A