Shomyo, Stories, and Song
Shomyo Buddhist chanting, as a religious practice, is not an everyday experience for most people in Japan. However, various forms of shomyo have had a significant influence on Japanese music and culture. In medieval Japan, performers practiced telling stories using techniques such as flat song (heikyoku) and narratives (sekkyobushi).
Another example of the influence of shomyo is in recitations of The Tale of the Heike, a thirteenth-century literary epic that takes place partly in Ohara; it was also recited to biwa accompaniment by biwa hoshi entertainers. Their melodies and song styles are all thought to have been influenced by shomyo.
Even today, Japanese enka songs incorporate a unique way of singing known as kobushi, which is influenced by shomyo chanting.