The Hogaku Workshop is a subject offered at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music that provides practical instruction on creating music using traditional Japanese instruments. This subject originated from the ‘Institute of Japanese Traditional Music’, established in 1995 by shamisen player Akiko Nishigata to cultivate players of traditional Japanese instruments. From its inception, the Institute emphasized not only performance but also the importance of participants creating music themselves. Workshops were guided by music education researcher Yukiko Tsubonou and provided a specialized environment with participants including Nishigata herself, alongside shamisen, koto, and shakuhachi players. When the Institute was transferred to Senzoku Gakuen in 2005, its philosophy evolved into the course subject Hogaku Workshop, attracting students from traditional Japanese music backgrounds and other musical genres.This study explores how Hogaku Workshop, rooted in Japanese traditional music culture, broaden musicality through participants diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It examines the 30-year evolution from Nishigata’s creative approach to the workshop establishment, analysing historical transitions, practices, and characteristics of creative music making. The methodology includes qualitative analysis based on video recordings of workshop activities, student-created compositions, blog documentation, lesson plans, and concert programs preserved by the Institute.The analysis identifies three distinct periods of the workshop from the Institute courses, each with its own characteristics. The finding indicate that in recent years, the musical scope of the Hogaku Workshop has broadened. This is due to the participation of many students not specialising in Japanese traditional music, but rather in diverse genres such as jazz, rock, and pop, who engage in music making activities using Japanese traditional instruments. It became evident that the creation of a music based on musical structure has been maintained till today, and that ‘creating’ leads to ‘understanding’ Japanese traditional music and other musical forms. Furthermore, it was suggested that students (participants) connect their own specialised music with Japanese traditional music, recognising commonalities and differences. This both broadens the students own musical perspectives and expands the potential of Japanese traditional music. Moreover, postgraduate students and undergraduates who have attended Hogaku Workshop are now engaging in collaborative music-making practices with teachers and children in Japanese schools. This demonstrates the expansion of new possibilities for traditional Japanese instruments within educational settings and society.This research underscores a new social role for Japanese traditional music, emphasizing the educational significance and musical potential embodied by Hogaku Workshop.