A questionnaire of students in Hiroshima was carried out to research the present situation of piano
accompaniment. The study showed that the students feel great interest in piano accompaniment and
regard it as an important profession of the future. However, there are very few universities offering
professional training in accompaniment.
I propose that the situation is related to a lack of understanding of accompaniment in the average
Japanese mentality and a change in the musician's profile from 19th century to the 20th century, leading
to a perceived low status for the teaching of accompaniment in the university.