Music and dance are very popular forms of art in Japan. There is a tremendous difference between America's music and dance and Japan's. The Japanese have very diverse tastes in music, that all lead up to their very diverse culture as a whole.

Japan was greatly influenced by different regions of Asia during the sixth century. But they were most strongly influenced by China and Korea. The form of music at that time was mostly made up of chants and poems. A more energetic,popular form of music was first done around the seven and eighth centuries. It was called gagaku and bugaku, which mean court music and dance, respectively.

Another popular form of dance was the acrobatic-like dance called saruaku. It was more of a large production, or performance, where as the others were more for becoming residentially fit. Nine or ten centuries later, in the seventeenth century, a more commercial, urban culture was rising in Japan,developing the more youth catering puppet theater, with musical accompaniment.