What is the name of the opera by Giacomo Puccini set in Japan?

The opera by Giacomo Puccini set in Japan is Madama Butterfly. It follows Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese geisha in Nagasaki, and her tragic relationship with B. F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer.

Puccini based the opera partly on John Luther Long’s 1898 story and David Belasco’s stage adaptation. He became interested in a Japanese setting after seeing Belasco’s play Madame Butterfly in London. Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa wrote the Italian libretto, continuing the team’s collaboration on La Bohème and Tosca.

Madama Butterfly premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1904, but its first performance was a major failure. Puccini revised it substantially, and the revised version soon became successful. The opera is especially known for Cio-Cio-San’s aria “Un bel dì, vedremo.”

A common mix-up is Turandot, another Puccini opera associated with Asia. Turandot is set in legendary ancient China, whereas Madama Butterfly is specifically set in Japan and draws on Japanese cultural imagery and musical references.