Summertime is usually a slow time for hogaku performances. In the old days, the halls weren't air-conditioned, and neither the performers nor the audience cared to sit for hours in the heat. The serious hogaku performance season and music festivals began in the autumn months, along with the cool breezes and lower temperatures.

Nonetheless, since summer is the low season for hall rentals, there are some jewels of performances to be heard, and many of the programs, especially involving those with students, are free or charge only a nominal admission fee. And, of course, the halls are all now air conditioned. Attending one of these concerts is an inexpensive way to escape the heat and hear some of Japan's finest musical traditions.

Joruri is the generic name for a narrative accompanied by shamisen music, and the most common example is Gidayu joruri, the narrator/singer who sits to the side of the bunraku puppet stage, reciting the dialogue and telling the story of the characters. His wide dramatic range and vocal contortions are one of the most fascinating aspects of the puppet theater.

Joruri began during the Muromachi Period, around the 15th-16th centuries, but didn't really blossom until the Edo Period, around the 17th-18th centuries. During that period, joruri was enjoyed not only as accompaniment to the puppet and kabuki theater, but also as a musical genre in itself.

The Edo Period also saw the rise of popularity in joruri performed by women, known as joryu joruri. In performance style and singing techniques, the joryu joruri singers imitate their male counterparts, but their voices contain a certain gentle pathos which, however deeply dramatic and moving they may be, men cannot quite get. Perhaps this is the reason the genre still remains popular in the present day.

There are three concerts of joryu joruri to recommend this month. The first, "Joryu Gidayu Ensokai," will feature narrative singing by the inimitable master of the art Asaju Takemoto, along with Tosakei Takemoto and shamisen by Komaji Tsuruzawa and others performing such Gidayu classics as "Goshozakura Horikawa Youchi (Night Attack at Horikawa Palace)," about the monk-warrior Benkei, one of the heros of the "Tale of Heike."

The "Joryu Gidayu Tomo no Kai" will present a performance of the "Neboku Kasane Monogatari," featuring the singing of Tosako Takemoto, Ayaichi Takemoto and Tosakei Takemoto, with Kansei Tsuruzawa on shamisen.

"Joryu Gidayu Wakate Ensokai" is a two-day concert of young joruri performers and will feature some of the best of the standard repertory, including the famous Gidayu version of the Chushingura story, "Kanadehon Chuushingura."

"Joryu Gidayu Ensokai," 1 p.m. Aug. 22, National Theater Engeijo (subway, Hanzomon Line, Hanzomon Station. The Engeijo is behind the National Theater Large Hall). Admission 2,500 yen, students 1,500 yen. For information, call the Gidayu Kyokai (03) 3541-5471.

"Joryu Gidayu Tomo no Kai," 2 p.m. Aug. 28, Nakano Geino Shogekijo (near JR Nakano Station). Admission 3,000 yen yen. For information, call the Gidayu Kyokai.

"Joryu Gidayu Wakate Ensokai," Sept. 1-2, 6:30 p.m. Ueno Hirokoji-tei (JR Ueno Station, subway Ginza Line Ueno Hirokoji). Admission 1,000 yen in advance, 1,500 yen at the door. For information, call the Gidayu Kyokai.

The yukata-kai or benkyo-kai is popular summer hogaku fare. "Yukata" refers to the light-weight summer kimono of the same name. It also suggests a refreshing informality, where friends and colleagues sit around in a tatami room drinking cold tea and fanning themselves while listening to the hogaku teacher and students perform. Because it is a student recital, admission is not charged, and the concert might last half a day. The audience comes and goes as they like, listening to the pieces they want to hear while relaxing in the cool, dark auditorium.

This kind of student recital is actually an integral part of the hogaku teaching and performance system. For most students, it is their only opportunity to perform for the public, and the recital acts as a stimulus for memorization and perfection of the pieces they've been practicing. It is also a chance for them to hear the other students and familiarize themselves with new pieces.

For the casual listener, it is a cool and inexpensive way to spend an afternoon and familiarize oneself with the various hogaku repertoires. The following are some of the free concerts to be had this month.

Nagauta: Tachibana-kai Yukata-kai, featuring Rokucho Kineya, 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at Nikkan Kogyo Hall (03) 3222-7118), Kudanshita subway station Exit For more information, call Rokucho Kineya, (03) 5420-0466.

Kiyomoto: Kiyomoto Biho-kai Yukata-kai, featuring Bijiro Kiyomoto, 11:30 a.m. Aug. 25 at Nikkan Kogyo Hall. For more information, call Bijiro Kiyomoto (03) 3724-4426.

Nagauta: Kineya Mishichi Yukata-kai, 12 p.m. Aug. 28 at Nikkan Kogyo Hall. For more information call Sanshichi Kineya (03) 3947-9760.

Shakuhachi: Shakuhachi Ensemble Juttetsu, 2 p.m. Aug. 29, Katsushika Symphony Hills Iris Hall (a five-minute walk from Aoto Station, Keisei Line). For more information, call Nakamura (045) 811-0096.

Shrine festival music: Kurihara Jinja Reisai, 5 p.m. Sept. 3-4, Kurihara Shrine in Zama City, near Zama Station on the Odakyu Line. For more information, call Nakamura (046) 253-7395.

Nagauta: Bunkyo Nagauta Matsuri, Sept. 4 at Nikkan Kogyo Hall. For more information, call Okubo (03) 3813-9818.

Yamada-style koto: Shinsei Kai, 1 p.m. Sept. 4 at Ginza Gas Hall (near the Yamaha music store in the Ginza). For more information call Takao (03) 3821-3842.

Koto and shakuhachi: Hana Sokyoku Konsaato, 1:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at Fujisawa Rira Hall in Fujisawa City. For more information, contact Ono (046) 626-7031.

The two main associations of Chikuzen-style biwa, the Asahi-kai and Tachibana-kai, put aside their differences to hold their annual joint recital in Tokyo today, Aug. 21. Chikuzen biwa features songs of samurai heroism, like its cousin Satsuma biwa, but the Chikuzen style is more melodious and uses more elaborate instrumental accompaniments.

Chikuzen Biwa Rengo-kai, from 12 p.m. Aug. 21 at Tokyo Shoken Kaikan Hall, Exit 8 from Kayabacho subway station. Admission 2,000 yen. For information call Chikuzen Biwa Rengo-kai (03) 3492-3203.

For those wishing to learn hogaku without having to go through the formalities of finding a willing teacher and paying the often rather expensive startup fees, the Asahi Culture Center in Shinjuku, one of Japan's oldest and most prestigious centers for community learning, offers classes in shakuhachi, koto, shamisen and fue (transverse flute) at very reasonable prices.

In order to make the music more accessible and widespread, they are also sponsoring a project of mine: Sunday afternoon concerts of free shakuhachi music. The aim of this series is to give people a chance, in an intimate setting, to hear the best of a variety of shakuhachi music, ranging from the lofty traditional solo meditational pieces to contemporary compositions, along with explanations of the music in both English and Japanese.

Shakuhachi music featuring Christopher Yohmei Blasdel with special guest, vocalist Mika Kimula. 4F Japanese room, Asahi Culture Center, Sumitomo Building, Shinjuku Station west exit. Admission free. For more information, call the Asahi Culture Center (03) 3344-1947.