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Paper short abstract

This paper explores how classical music—namely, art music of European origin—was cultivated among the Japanese public in the latter half of the twentieth century, focusing on the large-scale listening movement of the Workers’ Music Council (Rō-on).

Paper long abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore how classical music—namely, art music of European origin—was cultivated among the Japanese public in the latter half of the twentieth century, with particular attention to the large-scale listening movement. The Workers’ Music Council, known as Rō-on, was established in Osaka in 1949. The organization sought to cultivate audiences for classical music under the slogan “good music at affordable prices.” During the 1950s and 1960s, Rō-on expanded nationwide, reaching its peak in 1965 with 185 branches and approximately 630,000 members. At this point, it constituted one of the largest music-related social movements in the country. Rō-on played a significant role in the dissemination and institutionalization of classical music, which had been introduced to Japan following the Meiji restoration of 1868.

Although Rō-on emerged in the postwar period, it maintained ideological continuities with earlier approach to classical, including concepts of cultural cultivation (kyōyōshugi) and the promotion of music for workers’ welfare and cultural enrichment. These ideas emphasized the acquisition of cultural competence in European classical music and led to the formation of music appreciation societies not only in major urban centers but also in regional areas. As the organization expanded its memberships, however, its repertoire broadened to include popular genres such as jazz, chanson, and musicals theatre music. Notably, these genres were also of Western origin, reflecting a persistent orientation toward the West in Japan’s postwar musical culture.

This paper examines the aims and activities of Rō-on during the first ten years following its establishment, focusing on two branches: Osaka and Hiroshima. The former, founded in the country’s second-largest city, served as the origin and played a leading role in the movement, while the latter, established in 1954 as the fourteenth branches, illustrates how the organization spread into regional areas.