About Nihongaku

What’s with the name, “Nihongaku?”

The Japanese language is jam-packed with portmanteau. Pokémon, which combines the word pocket with the word monster is a prime example. In thinking of a proper name for this blog I eschewed common sense and created a portmanteau of my own instead of, you know, calling it something easier for English speakers to pronounce. Nihongaku combines the Japanese word for Japan (nihon) with the Japanese word for music (ongaku). 

Sometimes I receive suggestions to change the name to something considered more commercially viable. But here’s the thing: Nihongaku is about cultural understanding. It’s about reaching beyond our linguistic and geographical silos and discovering the rest of what’s out there in the world. It’s about the belief that magical things happen when we step outside of what we find familiar and explore a little bit. 

So the name is sticking around along with the blog and the podcast. Whether you’re deeply steeped in Japanese music or you’re just getting started, I invite you to stick around too. We’ve got a lot of music to discover.

—Jonathan McNamara

Questions? Comments? Drop us a line at nihongakublog[at]gmail.com