Abstract
Two and a half years have passed since the death, in June 2005, of Prof. Tadafumi Yamamatsu, a pioneering figure in the world of music therapy in Japan. Prof. Yamamatsu started providing music therapy to autistic children in 1959, and continued using music therapy as a form of psychotherapy until the final years of his life. I also conducted music therapy for many years under the supervision of Prof. Yamamatsu. Music therapy has come to be used in a wide range of fields in modern-day Japan, including therapy for disabled children and elderly people, and health promotion programs. Although progress has been made, forms of music therapy that are not based on proper theories and foundations are also being practiced. I take this opportunity, then, to examine Prof. Yamamatsu's legacy, and to review the fundamentals of music therapy.
