Bugaku

Bugaku,  repertoire of dances of the Japanese Imperial court, derived from traditional dance forms imported from China, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia. The dances comprise two basic forms: sahō no mai (“dances of the left”), accompanied by tōgaku (music derived mainly from Chinese forms); and uhō samai no mai (“dances of the right”), accompanied primarily by komagaku (music introduced from Korea). The two forms are also differentiated by the colour of the dancers’ richly embroidered costumes; sahō no mai costumes tend to be red, and uhō no mai to be blue or green.