Seppuku Pistols (Japan)

Durchlüften Opening Act

Straßen-Auftritt des japanischen Kollektivs Seppuku Pistols

On four summer weekends, DURCHLÜFTEN transforms the Humboldt Forum’s  Schlüterhof  into a free open-air meeting place where musical traditions from across the globe unfold as living cultural archives.  

5 years open. Already 5 years DURCHLÜFTEN. For the sixth time now, DURCHLÜFTEN transforms the S

Seppuku Pistols was formed by four ex-punks in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster. Their first performance took place on the edge of the no-entry zone surrounding the power plant — an act of resistance that set the tone for everything that followed. Since then, the group has rebelled against deceptive modernization, channeling protest through an indigenous Edo-era aesthetic and spirit.

What began as a small collective has grown into a roaming force of around 30 members across Japan, drawing in new participants who encounter them live. Performing anywhere and everywhere — indoors or outdoors, with or without electricity — Seppuku Pistols unleash deafening, chaotic rituals using traditional instruments like shamisen, shinobue flute, taiko drums, and gongs. From villages and nightclubs to protests, shrines, schools, mountains, and the sea, they create explosive situations where children, punks, workers, and elders collide in shared release. Beyond performance, members engage in farming, folklore research, craft, and community learning, embodying a living bridge to Edo culture and connecting audiences with ancestral memory, symbolized by their Yakamashi crest of arrow, sickle, and will.

chlüterhof courtyard of Berlin’s Humboldt Forum into a vibrant open-air stage for global music, cultural dialogue, and shared experience. From 9 July to 1 August 2026, across four summer weekends, the festival presents 24 live acts and 12 DJs from around the world. Each evening features two concerts followed by a DJ set, creating twelve nights of musical discovery, movement, and encounter in the heart of Berlin — once again with free entry for all.  

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- Price: free admission

- Duration: 60 Min

- Location: Ground Floor, Schlüter Courtyard

- Belongs to: Durchlüften 2026

Next date:

• Date Saturday, 18/July/2026 19:00
• Venue Humboldt Forum: Schlüterhof (Berliner Schloss)
• Address Schloßplatz 5, 10178 Berlin-Mitte