In the past two weeks, three television programs, each on a different network, covered conductor Yutaka Sado's debut with the Berlin Philharmonic. Though Sado's one-off gig would normally mean little outside the rarefied world of classical music, TBS and NHK each decided it merited an in-depth special. The third network, TV Asahi, featured the event on its regular classical music program, "Daimei no Nai Ongakkai" ("Concert Without a Name"), which happens to be hosted by Sado.
The three shows, as well as extensive media reports in general, drove home the significance of the event: The Berlin Philharmonic is considered by many to be the greatest musical ensemble in the world, and Sado is only the second Japanese person to be invited to conduct it. Making the story even better, it is literally a dream come true. When Sado graduated from elementary school, he wrote in his yearbook that his stated aim in life was to someday stand on the Berlin podium. Most budding Japanese conductors never dream of anything loftier than directing the NHK Symphony, at least out loud.
Such seemingly limited expectations may strike some as an expression of an inferiority complex, a stereotype that continues to resonate long after Japan became a world economic power. The idea that Japanese people can only find their full potential in Japan is one that embraces the greater stereotype of Japan being a homogeneous society. Consequently, when Japanese people do make successes of themselves in the larger world, there is a mixture of outward pride and concealed resentment in the way they are treated by fellow Japanese. This dynamic is particularly pronounced in the world of classical music, which is still considered a Western dominion despite the thousands of Japanese who enjoy full-time livelihoods, both at home and abroad, playing music.