Raw Materials Essential to Intangible Cultural Heritage – New Movement Related to Common Reeds, Raw Material for Rozetsu of Hichiriki in Kanmaki and Udono Areas
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been conducting investigations and research on raw materials essential to intangible cultural heritage. Common reeds grown in the riverbed of the Yodo River in the Kanmaki and Udono areas of Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, are well known for being suitable for rozetsu (reed) of hichiriki (Japanese traditional flute) used for gagaku (Japanese traditional classical court music). It has been five years since a two-consecutive-year cancellation of the riverbed-burning event normally held every February occurred, because of unsuitable weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this two-year suspension of the riverbed-burning, the common reeds had become intertwined with overgrown wild vines and withered. Though this situation was challenging, new movements to conserve the common reed riverbeds have begun this year.
Activities to remove the wild vines were led mainly by the Common Reed Management Office of the Gagaku Conference, including raising contributions, recruiting volunteers, and disseminating related information. At the same time, a stable and sustainable framework was explored. The General Incorporated Association, the Gagaku Association was founded in 2023, triggered by the challenges of stable acquisition of common reeds in the Kanmaki and Udono areas. Members of Shikibu-shoku Gakubu (Music Department) of the Imperial Household Agency, Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property, Gagaku, were engaged in this Society from the preparation stage and became members of the Association. This means that a connection was made between the Important Intangible Cultural Property of Gagaku classical court music and the common reeds in the Kanmaki and Udono areas.
Furthermore, the “Common Reed Conservation Consortium for Hichiriki, Musical Instrument of Gagakku” (hereafter, the Common Reed Conservation Consortium) was founded in June 2025 as a collaboration among the Gagaku Association, the Udono Association for Common Reed Riverbeds Preservation, the Kanmaki Working Union, and Takatsuki City to continuously make efforts to inherit gagaku and conserve common reeds in the given areas. As observers, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which controls the cultural property administration, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which manages these areas, have taken part in the Common Reed Conservation Consortium. With these movements, the dissemination activities became more active to raise awareness about the importance of the intangible cultural property: gagaku, and its raw material: common reeds.
In addition, as these frameworks were well established, a subsidy for operating expenses to conserve and utilize National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, for the conservation of common reeds for hichiriki, was granted to the Common Reed Conservation Consortium by the Cultural Property Conservation Operating Expenses (Business Category: Conservation Technique for Cultural Property). Takatsuki City also decided to grant “a subsidy for the conservative operation for common reeds for ‘hichiriki’: musical instrument of gagaku,” and started investigations to ensure a stable supply of common reeds for hichiriki is maintained, to prepare for the weeding operation from the new fiscal year.
In the areas where the operational schemes to conserve the common reed riverbeds were started, the annual activity to burn the riverbed was conducted on Feb 15, 2026. The mayor and officials of Takatsuki City and related parties of the Gagaku Association participated. We could hear some visitors’ conversation: “The common reeds here seem to be used for a gagaku musical instrument.”
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage continues to conduct investigations and research on movements to conserve raw materials essential to intangible cultural heritage. “The Report on Common Reeds, Raw Materials of Rozetsu for Hichiriki: Mainly on the Kanmaki and Udono Areas of the Riverbed in the Yodo River” will be published at the end of March 2026. We will be happy if you can read it.