Kawachi Ondo is a type of folk singing that originated in what is now the city of Yao in Osaka prefecture. The lyrics can be modified to touch on anything from epic tales to current events, and the best singers are able to improvise freely. This and much more can be learned at the Kawachi Ondo Museum in Yao, run by the singer Kawachiya Kikusuimaru, whose family has been cultivating the art form for generations.
Kawachi Ondo is thought to have originated in seventeenth-century ritual songs performed in Buddhist ceremonies held to memorialise the dead. It was formalised in the early 1900s and is now performed mostly in summer to provide a soundtrack for Bon dancing. The accompanying music is traditionally played with taiko drums and the shamisen, but since improvisation and topicality are central to Kawachi Ondo, electrical instruments are sometimes used as well.
The museum’s exhibits include instruments and kimonos worn by the performers, while CDs and cassette tapes are sold at the small museum shop. While there isn’t exactly a wealth of items to peruse here, the museum staff are happy to provide additional information and tell stories about the history of Kawachi Ondo upon request – though only in Japanese, natch.
Note that the museum closes during the New Year’s holidays and when exhibits are changed. Check the official website for full details.