This paper explores the reception of Paul Hindemith in Japan between 1925 and 1945 as a case of cultural translation of Neue Musik from Germany to Japan. It investigates how his music and theoretical thought were interpreted, transmitted, and recontextualized by Japanese critics and composers before World War II. The earliest reference appeared in Ongaku Junrei (1925) by the critic Kiyosuke Kanetsune, who, drawing on his experiences in Berlin, described Hindemith’s music as emblematic of Frankfurt. Around 1930, Hindemith was introduced in Japan as a representative of modern German trends, though discussions often relied on earlier works due to the scarcity of audio resources. A turning point came in 1935, when the inaugural issue of Ongaku Kenkyu featured a Hindemith special, reflecting both awareness of the 1934 “The Hindemith Case” in Nazi Germany and growing concern over political intervention in the arts. Japanese students who studied with Hindemith at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik from 1932 onward further shaped his image by introducing Mathis der Maler Symphony (1934) and the compositional theory of Unterweisung im Tonsatz (1937).

In 1930s Japan, particular emphasis on Hindemith’s creative output among contemporary Western modernists can be attributed to the prevailing expectation for neoclassical rather than atonal styles. His compositional language functioned as a “practical” model for creating an original form of art music relevant to Japan, rather than as mere imitation of the West. Thus, the Japanese reception of Hindemith reveals how prewar musical thought, grounded in a conservative belief in the social function of music, sought to redefine Western modernity. Hindemith’s influence, both in criticism and composition, illuminates a crucial moment in Japan’s pursuit of its own musical modernism.