Opera Day

What Is Opera Day?

Every November 24th is "Opera Day" (オペラ記念日, Opera Kinenbi) in Japan. On November 24, 1894, what is regarded as the first opera performance in Japan since the Meiji era was given at the Sōgakudō concert hall of the Tokyo Music School (東京音楽学校, the predecessor of Tokyo University of the Arts' music faculty). The program was Act 1 of Gounod's "Faust," performed by staff of the Austrian embassy and conducted by Franz Eckert, the German naval bandmaster known for arranging Japan's national anthem, "Kimigayo." The first full-fledged opera staged by Japanese performers came later, in 1903, when students performed Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice" ("Orufoisu") at the same hall.

Opera in Meiji Japan

The 1894 performance came during the Meiji era's intensive engagement with Western artistic forms. The Tokyo Music School had been established in 1887 to train Japanese musicians in Western classical music, and opera — the most prestigious and technically demanding form of Western musical theater — became a natural goal for its students, leading to the 1903 "Orfeo" production.

Opera's Development in Japan

Following these early performances, opera developed slowly but steadily in Japan. The first Japanese opera company was established in the early 20th century, and several composers created operas on Japanese subjects. After WWII, Japan's opera scene grew significantly — major opera houses (新国立劇場, Shin Kokuritsu Gekijō, the New National Theatre) were built, touring companies from Europe and America visited regularly, and Japanese singers began appearing on international stages. Today, Japan has a substantial and sophisticated opera culture, with multiple professional companies and a devoted audience base.

Japanese Singers on the World Stage

Japan has produced opera singers across a range of voice types who have performed with opera houses in Europe and America. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and other Japanese orchestras perform opera in concert and staged formats. Japan's choral tradition is also exceptionally strong, with amateur choral groups throughout the country performing operatic excerpts and major choral-orchestral works.

Fun Facts

• New National Theatre: The New National Theatre Tokyo (新国立劇場), opened in 1997 in the Hatsudai area of Shibuya, is Japan's premier opera and ballet venue, hosting a full season of opera productions each year with both Japanese and international casts.
• La Traviata in Japan: Verdi's "La Traviata" (1853) is one of the best-loved operas among Japanese audiences, its story of love across social boundaries resonating across cultural divides.