ca. 10 minutes
1 July 2025 marks the start of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s 25th tour of Japan. The musicians and conductor Gustavo Dudamel set off directly after their season-closing concerts at Berlin’s Waldbühne. This also marks the orchestra's fifth tour with Dudamel.
A journey through Japan follows its own special rhythm – tranquil skies above the blinking neon lights of big cities, gently steaming bowls of ramen in the bustle of crowded eateries, and the interplay between the reverent stillness of ancient shrines and the hubbub of urban traffic. On this tour, we follow that rhythm – from the busy streets of Osaka, through Nagoya’s discreet elegance, to a breath-catching pause at the foot of Mount Fuji in Kawaguchiko.
Osaka: Japan’s Kitchen
In Osaka, it’s not the sight of the skyline that hits you first. It’s the scent: warm, hearty, unmistakable. In the lively Dotonbori district, the air is thick with it: Takoyaki (octopus balls) sizzle on hot plates, Okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) are expertly flipped, Kushikatsu (fried skewers) glisten in the glow of the street lamps. Osaka is often called the kitchen of Japan – perhaps that’s why images of oversized octopuses, ice cream cones and other culinary icons climb the façades of buildings, advertising the delicacies sold below. The importance of food here is impossible to miss.
Dotonbori offers a feast for the eyes as well: it flickers, flashes and glows. On a humid evening, you might find yourself beneath the glowing “Glico Man”, surrounded by the polyphony of pachinko parlours and the clink of glasses raised over after-work beers. Dotonbori is loud, chaotic, and captivating. And when the need for a moment of calm arises, Osaka Castle beckons: white egrets glide over the moat, golden ornaments gleam on the rooftops – it feels like stepping into an ancient folktale.
The Berliner Philharmoniker’s performance in Osaka on 2 July is part of the city’s World Expo. It will be the orchestra’s fourth appearance at a world exhibition – and its first concert in Osaka since playing there in 1970 with Herbert von Karajan. This time, the concert takes place in the newly-built Festival Hall, completed in 2013 and home to the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra (大阪フィルハーモニー交響楽団). Situated on the banks of the Dojima River, the hall unites modern elegance with a sense of the sacred. Its construction marked a radical new beginning – the original 1958 concert hall, a cultural landmark, had to make way for this modern venue. The vision remained: to create a space that not only hosts musical events, but transforms them into something greater. Master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, who also worked on Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Berlin’s Pierre Boulez Saal, Los Angeles’ Walt Disney concert hall, and many others, created a soundscape for Osaka where every note finds its place, and even the softest pianissimo carries to the very last row.
Nagoya: Subtle, but unmissable
If Osaka embodies Japan’s extroverted spirit, then Nagoya represents its quiet inventiveness. Often overlooked in favour of more flamboyant cities, Nagoya possesses an understated elegance; its urban design – wide streets and clear structure – reflects a calm and rational order. It is also the industrial heart of Japan’s automotive industry. Here, pride is taken in efficiency, innovation and technological precision. The story becomes tangible at the Toyota Museum – with imposing machinery and equally impressive storytelling.
But Nagoya also boasts a rich past, impressively displayed at Nagoya Castle. Once the seat of a powerful clan, the castle has been meticulously reconstructed. Green-tiled roofs and golden shachihoko (mythical ornaments) adorn the structure. Inside: delicate wall paintings, wooden floors and vistas once reserved for shōguns.
This year’s concert will be the Berliner Philharmoniker’s ninth performance in Nagoya. The orchestra first played here in 1957 under Herbert von Karajan, with a programme that included the overture to Wagner’s Tannhäuser, Smetana’s The Moldau and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. The Berliner’s first performance at the Aichi Prefectural Arts Theatre – this year’s venue – was in 1998, with Claudio Abbado. The programme at the time included Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp with Emmanuel Pahud and Marie-Pierre Langlamet – both of whom will also be performing this year.
Kawaguchiko: Where Fuji touches the sky
After all the city lights and urban buzz, Kawaguchiko feels like a long exhale. Located in the region of the Five Lakes, the town is picture-perfect: in spring, cherry blossoms frame the view of Mount Fuji; in autumn, it’s a blaze of red foliage. And when the light is right and the air completely still, the silent volcano reflects on the lake’s surface. For the best vantage point, take the Kachi-Kachi ropeway up Mount Tenjo – sip tea or coffee and enjoy the perfect view of Fuji in the distance.
Kawaguchiko offers gentle pleasures: open-air hot springs with mountain views, lovingly-tended gardens, small museums like the Kubota Itchiku Museum with its spectacular dyed kimonos, and family-run inns serving Houtou – a hearty noodle and vegetable soup, perfect for cooler evenings. And at night? Just look up – the star-filled sky here feels close enough to touch. You can almost sense the calm, steady breath of Mount Fuji beside you in the darkness.
This tour marks the Berliner Philharmoniker’s debut in Kawaguchiko. The two open-air concerts at the Kawaguchiko Stellar Theatre are modelled on the orchestra’s season-closing concerts at the Waldbühne – bringing a long-standing Berlin tradition to Japan. The amphitheatre celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025 and is clearly thrilled to welcome the Berliner Philharmoniker. Train carriages taking visitors to the concerts have even been decorated with images of the orchestra.