Rōkyoku
/ɾoːkʲokɯ/noun
A Japanese genre of dramatic narrative singing traditionally accompanied by the shamisen.
Did you know?Rōkyoku developed from naniwa-bushi around the turn of the twentieth century and became a powerful mass medium before radio and cinema dominated popular entertainment.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Sino-Japanese
浪
“Wave, billow, or a surge of water; the character later supplied the first element of rōkyoku.”
Classical Chinese
Sino-Japanese
曲
“A song, musical piece, melody, or tune; the second element of rōkyoku.”
Edo Period
Japanese
Naniwa-bushi / 浪花節
“A predecessor of rōkyoku: sentimental narrative singing associated with Osaka and the Naniwa region.”
Early 20th Century
Japanese
Rōkyoku / 浪曲
“A newer name for the narrative singing tradition, literally combining “wave” and “song.””
Modern English
English
rōkyoku
“An English loanword referring to this Japanese musical storytelling genre.”
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