Gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial court for several centuries. It consists of three primary bodies: native Shintoist religious music and folk songs, saibara, as well as a Korean form, komagaku, and a Chinese form, togaku. By the 7th century, the shakuhachi (an end-blown flute,different from modern type of shakuhachi), the koto (a zither) and the biwa (a short-necked lute) had been introduced in Japan from China. These three instruments were the earliest used to play gagaku.

Komagaku and togaku arrived in Japan during the Nara period (710-794), and settled into the basic modern divisions during the Heian period (794-1185). Gagaku performances were played by musicians who belonged to hereditary guilds. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), military rule was imposed and gagaku was performed in the homes of the aristocracy, but rarely at court. At this time, there were three guilds based out of Osaka, Nara and Kyoto.

After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, musicians from all three guilds came to Tokyo and their descendants make up most of the current Imperial Palace Music Department. By this time, the traditional instruments, the biwa, gakuso and ryuteki, had been supplemented by taiko(drum) or dadaiko(huge drum), shoko(metal percussion) and kakko (small drum).