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Author: Ruipeng Lu
Matt Gillan’s Songs from the Edge of Japan: Music-Making in Yaeyama and Okinawa (2012) is an insightful and essential contribution to the study of Okinawan and Yaeyaman music. As the first English-language ethnography to thoroughly explore the music-making traditions of Yaeyama, the book addresses a significant gap in scholarship concerning Japan’s peripheral musical cultures. With extensive fieldwork experience and expertise in the local musical and linguistic traditions, Gillan offers a well-researched account of how music in Yaeyama serves as a medium for cultural identity, historical continuity, and regional distinction within Okinawa and Japan as a whole.
The book contains eight chapters, each dedicated to different aspects of Yaeyama’s musical traditions. Chapter 1, titled “Island Treasures (Shima nu Takara),” introduces the idea of “traditional music” within Yaeyama, highlighting its essential role in daily life even amidst modernization. Chapter 2 establishes the foundation for appreciating Yaeyama’s musical styles, instruments (especially the sanshin), kunkunshi, the tablature notation system, and the categories of songs, including yunta/jiraba (work songs) and fushiuta genres. In Chapter 3, Gillan explores how Yaeyama’s musical identity contrasts with Okinawa’s, demonstrating how musicians strive to preserve their traditions against wider Okinawan and Japanese influences. The following chapters examine the social, religious, and performative aspects of Yaeyaman music. Chapter 4 explores the deep-rooted connection between music and religious rituals, while Chapter 5 investigates musical transmission, emphasizing the role of preservation groups and the absence of an iemoto (household head) system in Yaeyama, unlike mainland Japan. Chapter 6 offers a compelling analysis of regional versus individual performance styles, using the well-known song Tubarāma as a case study. Chapter 7 shifts to the contemporary, analyzing the influence of the Okinawa “boom” of the 1990s, which sparked increased national interest in Okinawan and Yaeyaman music. The book concludes in Chapter 8 by reflecting on themes of authenticity, regionalism, and the effects of external influences, particularly from Japan and the West.
One of the book’s standout features is its thorough examination of music within its socio-historical context. Gillan conducts meticulous research that includes musical transcriptions, song lyrics, and historical references, providing a comprehensive understanding of Yaeyama’s musical landscape. His ability to navigate various layers of identity—local, regional, and national—adds significant depth to the discussion. The inclusion of maps, photographs, and musical examples enhances the reader’s engagement with the content, although the lack of a corresponding CD or online recording repository represents a missed opportunity.
Although the book has notable strengths, it also presents some limitations. Reviewers have pointed out that Gillan’s academic tone can feel somewhat detached. As Deschênes (2017) points out in his review, despite Gillan’s fieldwork and musical expertise enhancing the credibility of his research, he seldom explores his deeper connections with Yaeyaman musicians, often sticking to surface-level interactions (170). A more self-reflective ethnographic style—where Gillan contemplates his role as a researcher, the local musicians' reception of his work, and his personal experiences while in the field—would have enriched the text further. Additionally, the book’s treatment of historical and geopolitical contexts, particularly the impact of the U.S. military occupation (1945–1972) on Okinawan and Yaeyaman music, is noticeably lacking. Given the profound influence of this period on Okinawan cultural identity, its omission from the discussion is a significant oversight. Similarly, while Gillan excellently distinguishes Yaeyama from Okinawa mainland, a more comparative analysis—including Yaeyama’s ties to the island of Taiwan, the Asian continent, and the Miyako Islands—would have provided a more comprehensive view of its musical and cultural interconnections.
Despite its limitations, Songs from the Edge of Japan proves to be an invaluable resource for ethnomusicologists, Japanologists, and enthusiasts of indigenous and regional music traditions. It provides a detailed examination of Yaeyama’s musical heritage while also contributing to wider conversations about cultural identity, authenticity, and regionalism in Japan. Both scholars and musicians will find much to admire in Gillan’s comprehensive and engaging analysis, even as they might hope for a more personal and historically expansive approach in future studies.
Citation:
Deschênes, Bruno. “Songs from the Edge of Japan: Music-Making in Yaeyama and Okinawa by Matt Gillan (Review).” Asian Music 48, no. 1 (2017): 128–31. doi:10.1353/amu.2017.0009.
Gillan, Matt. “Imagining Okinawa: Japanese Pop Musicians and Okinawan Music.,” 2009.
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