Beyond Hotaru Koi: Contemporary Japanese Choral Works for the Classroom

Choral music has played a vital role in Japanese education since the early 20th century, and the popularity of choral contests grew over the decades. Established in 1932, the NHK All-Japan School Music Competition has grown into a significant festival featuring thousands of ensembles and commissioning over 200 new works, which have become the core repertoire for school choirs in Japan. This paper highlights six contemporary compositions commissioned in the last 15 years, aiming to provide an introductory resource for Japanese works beyond the traditional idioms that have historically focused on arrangements of folk songs. Additionally, the paper discusses the history and the cultural significance of choral music education and competition in Japan, illustrating its impact on society and the development of a contemporary choral canon.