A Study of Japanese Concepts of Community

Abstract

How can Community Music Therapy be practiced in Japan? This paper aims to describe two Japanese concepts of community – "shakai" and "seken" – and to explore the relation between these two concepts and the practice of Community Music Therapy in Japan. 'Shakai' is an official equivalent for society while 'seken' is a traditional view of the world as human relationships. It is probable that these two concepts represent the basic ideas of community in Japan. So far, there has been no thorough attempt to clarify the relevance of these concepts for music therapy practice and theory, in spite of the fact that music therapy has grown and developed in Japan over a number of years. In this paper, I will illuminate the Japanese situation and problem of community, present the possibility of Community Music Therapy in Japan, and discuss implications for Community Music Therapy.