yokyoku

Updated: May 26, 2025

A composition which had its origin at this epoch was the yokyoku, a special kind of libretto for mimetic dances. Commentaries, too, made their appearance, as did some histories, romances, and anthologies. As Japan during the Ashikaga period sat at the feet of the Sung masters in philosophy and literature, so it was in the realm of art.

F. (Frank) Brinkley - A History of the Japanese People : From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era

These two dances may be called pre-eminently the martial music of Japan, both by reason of the subject and the nature of the musical movement. The most aristocratic performance of all, however, was the yokyoku, which ultimately grew into the no.

F. (Frank) Brinkley - A History of the Japanese People : From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era