The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) is a research center for ethnology and cultural anthropology.

Ethno-Aesthetic Studies of Music and Body

Joint Research Coordinator YAMADA Yoichi (External Coordinator / Cooperating Faculty Member)

Reserch Theme List

Objectives

Music is not something that emanates solely from the fingertips or mouth, nor should it be judged solely in terms of the auditory sense. The creation and reception of music happens no place other than the locus of the body, where various interlinked senses are at work. By examining the distinctive aesthetic sense and perceptions of the body within various ethnic groups, this research aims to clarify the essential relationships between music and the body from the perspective of ethno-aesthetics.
Despite the fact that music and the body have a very intimate relationship, up until now musicology has rarely adopted an approach that focuses on the body. An ethno-aesthetic approach that concentrates on the aesthetics and physical sensory elements of music has also been rarely attempted. For these reasons, this research to be carried out by specialists in ethno-musicology, music aesthetics, music history, dance and cultural anthropology should lead to fundamental changes for research paradigms in musicology.