Culture of Imperial Japan and the Court
Japan boasts one of most ancient imperial dynasties in the world, with modern emperors tracing their lineage back to the sixth century BC—although the title of Tenno, or emperor, has only been used for about the past 1,400 years. Despite the fact that from the time of Yorimoto in 1192 Japan was ruled by a shogun, and not an emperor, the proud traditions of imperial court life have either remained intact or were reestablished during the Meiji era that began in 1868 and continued until 1912. It was during that period of Japan’s history that a firm model of imperial court life was laid out and has been adhered to ever since ("Meiji Restoration | Japanese history").
While Meiji sought to westernize and modernize Japan, it is striking that he also insisted on the preservation of Japanese culture. He alone composed close to 100,000 poems in traditional Japanese styles during his lifetime. Although it is reported that he insisted on adopting many western personal habits (food, clothing, etc.), Meiji undertook a massive adoption of traditional court practices that had largely come into disuse under the shoguns ("Meiji Restoration | Japanese history").
The Emperor
The emperor, or Tenno, of Japan was considered (up until the end of World War II) to be the singular sovereign entity within Japan’s governmental structure. Often referred to as Sumera-Mikoto, or “heavenly sovereign,” the emperor was believed to be a divine being under the Shinto system of belief (Asakawa, 1903). The emperor was thought to possess magical powers and to converse with the gods. It was therefore considered beneath him to become involved in the day-to-day running of the country. This was left to ministers and advisors. An exception was the period between the 7th and 8th centuries during which several emperors tried to bring the regional clans under central Imperial control. Creation myths from ancient Shinto sources contributed to the sustained belief of the emperor’s divinity. As such, he remained largely unquestioned (Boscaro, 2003).
Apart for a period during the 14th century when the Emperor Godaigo briefly restored imperial rule, from the 12th to 19th centuries Japan was ruled by a succession of military leaders, or Shoguns. It wasn't until Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun of the recently reunited Japan at the beginning of the Edo Period (1600-1868) that the imperial institution regained some of its former glory, if not its power. While the Tokugawa's ruled from Edo (now Tokyo), the imperial court was in Kyoto and performed duties that, while important to the shogunate, were mostly religious rituals (Seidensticker, 1990).
In the modern age, the Emperor of Japan has taken on a largely symbolic role, mainly as a reaction against the reign of Hirohito and his leadership of Japan during World War II. Despite a more western democratic paradigm of leadership in Japan and the emperor in a purely ceremonial role, the Imperial Family remains the visible sign of all that is Japanese ("The Imperial Institution").
Religion
Religion has always played an important role in Imperial Japan. Buddhism was brought to Japan around the same time that the first Japanese rulers called themselves emperors, modeling themselves very much on the Chinese paradigm during the Tang dynasty. Throughout the centuries both Buddhism and Shintoism have existed in Japan, with Shinto practices becoming predominant within the culture of the Imperial court and throughout Japan.
Shintoism is primarily an “action-centered religion” (Williams, 2004) wherein adherents diligently carry out prescribed ritual practices at shrines. It is a religion found almost exclusively in Japan and is heavily tied to Japan’s national identity. In reality, Shintoism is less of a codified religion with set dogmas, and more of a collection of native beliefs and mythology that have been codified over the centuries (Ellwood, 1985). Those who practice the Shinto religion make pilgrimages to shrines during different seasons of the year, pray to a multitude of kami (divinity or spiritual essence), and demonstrate their unity of belief through uniform, traditional garb, language, and ritual action (Ellwood, 1985).
One of the most foundational elements of Shintoism is the concept of purification. It is believed that certain deeds incur ritual impurity, for which any number of purification rituals must be performed. Deeds considered to be “wrong” are called “impurity,” or kegare, and one who commits such deeds must purify themselves. Purification rituals, which really are the lifeblood of Japanese Shinto observance, may be performed daily, weekly, at the change of the seasons, or on prescribed feast days (hare) throughout the years (Sugimoto, 1997).
It is estimated that over 80% of Japanese people today adhere to Shinto practices and beliefs, but very few identify as “Shintoists.” It is seen far more as a spiritual/philosophical extension of the national culture than a formalized religious sect (Engler, 2005). Although adherence to Shinto beliefs has no formal ritual of acceptance or initiation, the ritual practices of Shinto worship and prayer are highly ritualized and considered among the most sacred and dignified acts of the Japanese people. To that end, they are revered for their antiquity and carefully safeguarded against innovation or corruption by secular influences (Engler, 2005).
Gagaku as an extension of Religion and Government
Both the ritual nature of the Shinto religion and the formalities surrounding a deified emperor aided in the development of gagaku as a type of music that helps to unite the secular and the sacred, the civil and the religious. From its Shinto roots, gagaku was assimilated into the everyday life of the court of the emperor as both a form of worship and of entertainment.