Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is one of his most well known and performed symphonies. Premiering in 1824, the symphony has garnered widespread acclaim. The symphony is beloved around the world but no place more so than Japan.
Dubbed “Daiku” in Japanese, Beethoven’s Ninth is interestingly a holiday staple. A multitude of performances are put on every year with thousands gathering to listen to the symphony and sing along to Ode to Joy. Professional trombonist Yamoto stated in 2015, “I’m sure that right now, some orchestra is playing Beethoven’s Ninth in Tokyo.”
Some claim the tradition dates as far back as World War 1 when German POWs in Naruto exposed the country of Japan to Beethoven. Its first performance in Japan took place in 1925, a century after its initial premiere, and eventually became rooted in tradition. Japan’s infatuation with Daiku was noticed by the New York Times back in 1990, claiming that for the Japanese, “by all accounts, Beethoven’s Ninth is transcendental karaoke”. Performances of the symphony are grand and involved. The flashiest annual production of Beethoven’s Ninth employs a 10,000 person chorus. Each member shows up for weeks of rehearsal and learns the German lyrics.
Many have likened the Beethoven craze to America’s love for Handel’s Messiah. Japan is to Beethoven’s 9th as America is to Handel’s Messiah. Every year around the holidays, The Messiah is treated in a very similar way to Beethoven’s Ninth is in Japan, both with an abundance of performances and many audience members who feel their year is not complete without having listened to a performance of the piece. Japan’s fascination with Beethoven’s Ninth is particularly interesting though because it seemingly comes out of nowhere. Going every year to listen to Beethoven’s Ninth has been described as an almost religious experience in Japan.
In America, prevalent Catholic forces popularized Handel’s Messiah and solidified the tradition of its annual performance. But Japan has no such obvious force explaining its popularity. Is it possible if they had been exposed to any other composer, such as Brahms rather than Beethoven, that they would’ve latched onto that music in the same way? Or is there some unexplainable intrinsic quality to Beethoven’s music or the message of Ode to Joy that they identify with? Chang states in an article for Asia Europe Journal, “Beethoven’s personal triumph over many obstacles in his life, and the experience of being part of something grand and challenging (and fun at the same time) are all perfectly accommodating to the Japanese society in need of something that provides social and cultural nourishment”. In the end we can only speculate why, but it is clear that Beethoven holds a unique and special place in Japan’s heart.
