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Which types of music are included in the three major categories of gagaku?
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Japanese music
Courtesan playing a samisen, Japanese woodcut print.
In the early 21st century, gagaku is grouped into three principal categories:
- Indigenous Japanese music: This category includes various forms of Shintō ritual music and ancient vocal music.
- Foreign music: This repertoire primarily consists of tōgaku (music of the left, derived from Chinese and Indian sources) and komagaku (music of the right, derived from Korean and other sources).
- Vocal forms of mixed origin: This category includes vocal music that blends local and foreign influences, such as saibara (pastoral songs) and rōei (recitations).1