singing

...In early modern Joruri, Jiuta, and Sokyoku, it refers to the lyrics of a song. However, in the early Meiji period, it was used as a translation of singing or song, and in the Education System (1872), singing was established as one of the subjects in elementary schools (music was taught in junior high schools). From then on, until elementary schools were renamed national schools in 1941 and the subject name was changed to Arts and Music, the word "song" came to refer primarily to the name of an elementary school subject and secondarily to songs used as teaching materials in that subject. After Arts and Music, music classes in elementary, junior high, and high schools after World War II taught not only singing, but also instrumental music, appreciation, and creation, but singing classes were limited to teaching singing (singing)....

*Some terminology explanations that mention "singing" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…近世の浄瑠璃，地歌，箏曲などでは歌の歌詞をさす。　しかし，明治初期にsingingやsongの訳語にあてられ，〈学制〉(1872)では小学教科の一つとして唱歌科が設置され(中学校は奏楽)，以後，1941年に小学校が国民学校と改称され教科目名が芸能科音楽に改められるまで，唱歌の語は第1に小学校の教科の名称として，第2には，その教科で用いられる教材としての歌をさすようになった。芸能科音楽以後，第2次大戦後の小･中･高校における音楽科では，歌をうたうことのほか，器楽，鑑賞，創作の指導が行われているが，唱歌科では，もっぱら唱歌をうたうこと(歌唱)の指導に限られていた。…

※「singing」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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