This paper explores bi-musicality in modern Japan, and compares it with bilinguality at societal and individual levels. It considers the usefulness and limitations of the comparison of language and music. It establishes a model of musical competence as a preliminary to considering bi-musical competence, and schematizes the differences between Japanese and Western musical cultures for this purpose. In considering the relevance of bilingualism to the development of bi-musicality as an aspect of bi-culturality, I will argue that bilingualism as such is not so relevant to Japanese music, because early in Japan’s modern period Western music was effectively ‘translated’ into Japanese culture. The application of the concept of bi-musicality to music in modern Japan offers a new perspective on Japan’s musical modernity.

The discussion will focus first on the societal level, that is, Japan as a bi-musical culture. Then some individual case studies will be presented of people whose bi-musicality has been central to their musical activity. This will lead to some tentative conclusions about the extent and nature of bi-musicality in Japan.