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Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 

 

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 holds a unique and deeply symbolic place in Japanese cultural history—one that began not in a grand concert hall, but inside a prisoner-of-war camp during World War I.

 

On June 1, 1918, at the Bando Prisoner-of-War Camp (板東俘虜収容所) in what is now Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, German prisoners of war performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in its complete form under the direction of Hermann Richard Hansen. This was not only the first full performance of Beethoven’s Ninth in Japan, but also the first known complete performance anywhere in Asia.

 

The historical context makes this extraordinary.

 

During World War I, Japan, aligned with the Allies, captured German soldiers from Qingdao (Tsingtao), China. Many were sent to Bando Camp, which became notable for its unusually humane treatment under camp commander Matsue Toyohisa. Unlike many POW camps of the era, Bando allowed prisoners intellectual and cultural freedom. German detainees organized educational programs, baked bread, made sausages, taught Western music, and introduced aspects of European culture to Japan.

 

Among these cultural contributions was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

 

The performance required remarkable discipline and coordination. Beethoven’s Ninth is a monumental work, especially its final movement, “Ode to Joy” (歓喜の歌), based on Friedrich Schiller’s poem celebrating universal brotherhood. For imprisoned soldiers far from home, the message of hope, humanity, and freedom must have carried profound emotional power.

 

What began as a performance by displaced Germans would eventually become one of Japan’s most beloved musical traditions.
Today, “Daiku” (第九, “Number Nine”) is performed throughout Japan every December by massive choruses and orchestras, often involving thousands of singers. For many Japanese, it symbolizes perseverance, renewal, and communal spirit at year’s end.

 

In an extraordinary historical twist, a symphony born in Europe, performed by prisoners during wartime, became woven into the cultural fabric of Japan.
So when Japan sings Beethoven’s Ninth each year, it is not simply performing Western classical music—it is continuing a tradition that began in Tokushima in 1918, where music transcended war, borders, and captivity.