Tokyo Community Radio (TCR), an online radio platform run by Licaxxx, has announced a new event titled communities. The event will be held at Daikanyama UNIT / Saloon in Tokyo on June 30 and at Osaka JOULE on July 1.

The guest lineup includes re:ni and Laksa, two hot up-and-coming DJs and producers reshaping the UK music scene. The duo has a monthly program on NTS Radio titled re;lax, along with a party series of the same name. In February 2023, they released a new EP, Body Score, on their new label founded to explore music with faster tempos and to carry the torch of UK techno, jungle, dubstep, and grime. Each DJ is also active individually and the two have constantly been in the spotlight.

Music fans are invited to partake in this stunning musical event led by Licaxxx and targeted at the current generation of music makers as they extend beyond Asia and take their activities around the world.

re:lax (re:ni & Laksa)

Licaxxx

ZEROTOKYO, an entertainment mecca known for heating up Tokyo nights, is teaming up with ASOBISYSTEM to create an exciting new party! ASOBIZA, named after the origin of Kabukicho, will be held on April 28.

The lineup includes music artists as well as charismatic figures at the top of their fields in fashion, beauty, and art. Transcending musical genres and generations, this night will embody ZEROTOKYO’s concept of being a true “Entertainment Junction.”

Additional performers may be announced in the future.

On February 3, popular music duo GARNiDELiA held a live YouTube broadcast to announce the release of GARNiDELiA COVER COLLECTION on March 22, 2023.

Vocalist MARiA and composer TOKU have been dabbling in cover tracks for some time. The new album will include GARNiDELiA’s spin on popular songs like Haru yo Koi, Friends, DEPARTURES, Kaikai Kitan, and CITRUS. The new album will include 12 songs, including a mix of newly recorded and previously released tracks.

The Deluxe Edition will also include the Blu-ray recording of the Tokyo performance of GARNiDELiA stellacage 2022 -stella ship- OSAKA and TOKYO held in 2022. Fans won’t want to miss out on this incredible concert!

In addition, both the Deluxe Edition and Standard Edition will include tickets to enter to win a spot in an upcoming special event. More details will be announced soon, so check the official website!

GARNiDELiA has also announced a world tour in 2023! GARNiDELiA stellacage 2023 -stella ship- Re:CoNNeCT will commence in May 2023 and more details are expected to be revealed in a YouTube Live on February 17.

The Mine City Tourism Association has announced a Christmas & Valentine’s Day event at Akiyoshido Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Japan. The event will see the natural wonder illuminated by a number of colorful lights. The Christmas event will run from December 21 to 25, 2022, while the Valentine’s Day event will run from February 10 to 14, 2023.

Akiyoshido Cave is one of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s most popular tourist attractions. The interior will be decorated with colorful lights and unique soundscapes, creating a once-in-a-lifetime setting for visitors. These illuminations and sounds were directed by world-renowned lighting designer Motoko Ishii, known for her work on Tokyo Tower and the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Vocalist MARiA and composer TOKU make up the popular duo GARNiDELiA. At the two’s epic finale for 2022, ‘GARNiDELiA stellacage 2022 -stella ship- OSAKA and TOKYO’ at EX Theater Roppongi, the duo announced a world tour coming in 2023.

The world tour, titled ‘GARNiDELiA stellacage 2023 -stella ship- Re:CoNNeCT,’ will take place in over 20 cities around the world from May to September 2023, including Shanghai,  Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, and a number of cities in Japan. A new visual was revealed alongside the announcement. 

The duo will also release a Cover Collection series album in the spring of 2023. GARNiDELiA has covered a number of popular J-pop tracks in the past, releasing them on YouTube and streaming services. Fans in the audience were instantly excited by the announcement of the long-awaited album. 

More details about the world tour and upcoming album will be announced in January 2023.

MARiA’s Comment on World Tour

“It’s been four years since our Asia tour. 

Finally…finally…I’ll be able to see all of you.*

It’s been a long road, but we survived. We persevered. We’ll show you our real strength. And to those of you who have been waiting and supporting us over the past four years, we’ll be back to sing for you soon and show our love. I’m excited about this tour, which will be filled with miraculous moments where we’ll finally be able to share our feelings and make up for lost time.”

toku‘s Comment on World Tour

“Although we performed overseas plenty of times following our debut, the last few years have kept us from doing so for the first time. We’re so excited to announce this long-awaited opportunity. We can’t wait to perform for our fans in Japan and abroad so we can make up for so much lost time.”

MARiA’s Comment on Cover Album

“The GARNiDELiA cover series began two years ago as a way to fill the void created by our tour being canceled. We had a lot of fun while working on it, aiming to pay homage to so many great songs and bringing our own unique twist and color to each of them. I think this was made possible by our diversity. We really played around with the sound for this album, and we’d be so happy if you could listen and enjoy!”

toku‘s Comment on Cover Album

“Everyone has heard so many hit songs during their life. We’ve been lucky to have so much inspiration and to be able to play and have fun with this music. I wonder what kind of chemical changes the two of us can make with these songs. At the start of production, I felt like I was really facing each song with a pure heart, encountering a different form of music than I had in the past, partly as a reaction to our tour being canceled. As singers and artists, we’d be so happy if you’d listen to our interpretation of these classic tracks.”

*Maria uses the word for ‘love’ instead of ‘meet.’ Both are pronounced the same way.

Vocalist MARiA and composer TOKU make up the popular duo GARNiDELiA, and the two will release their new single Souten on December 8, 2022. The track will be used as the theme song for the Nintendo Switch game Soukai Tenki and was written exclusively for the game itself. For those wondering, Soukai Tenki will be released on the same day. The song has already been performed several times at GARNiDELiA’s live shows and has become a popular song among fans.

The jacket art featuring characters from the game was also released.

The full track was unveiled on FM NACK5’s ‘FAV FOUR’ during MARiA’s regular segment on November 28.

hether you are a fan of the game or not, you won’t want to miss checking out this gorgeous new song!

（C）滄海天記プロジェクト

A story-based digital GPS rally inspired by Chainsaw Man will be held within Tokyo’s subway system from November 1 until November 28. Fans of the anime series won’t want to miss it!

Participants will be tasked with one vital mission: to find five senior devil hunters who are currently undercover at subway stations around the city.

Participants will download an app from the special website and follow the instructions within to find stamp locations at stations throughout Tokyo. When they reach the designated location, they’ll find a special poster, and they’ll just need to press a button in the app to earn a stamp. By collecting stamps in all six locations, fans will receive a unique key visual which can only be obtained through this event. 

Pop-Up Shop

During the event period, fans will also find a limited-time pop-up shop inside Ikebukuro Sunshine City. Original collaboration items will be on sale, and a game will be set up with winners able to walk away with unique prizes. From November 1 to November 20, admission to the shop will be by advance reservation only on a first-come, first-served basis to reduce crowding. Reservations can be made through the official website.

©藤本タツキ／集英社・ＭＡＰＰＡ

The famed Japanese musician and producer Tetsuya Komuro and MARiA from GARNiDELiA have released a collaboration track and music video. Trust On Me -Theme of E.T.E- was released on October 16, 2022.

The track serves as the theme song for the new mobile game E.T.E. Chronicle, launched by bilibili on October 14. The game’s music was written, composed, and arranged entirely by Tetsuya Komuro. MARiA from the music duo GARNiDELiA provided vocals for the theme, known for her work on a number of anime and game properties. 

The music is reminiscent of TM NETWORK’s TIME TO COUNT DOWN released 32 years ago, starting with an incredible piano solo and a sense of speed and urgency. Featuring lyrics about trust and faith, the song is a perfect fit for the game.

The music video features full 3D game footage interspersed with footage of MARiA and Tetsuya Komuro in the recording studio.

“I asked MARiA to provide the vocals because I knew that she could embody the game’s message,” Komuro said. “The most important thing was expressing a sense of speed and femininity.”

“I’m so happy and honored to have been chosen to take part in this wonderful and timeless collaboration,” MARiA said. “I hope this song pulls everyone into the world of E.T.E. Chronicle.” 

©bilibili

HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX, a theater and restaurant offering Hello Kitty-themed shows and meals on Awaji Island, and HELLO KITTY APPLE HOUSE, an apple-shaped observation theater based on the popular character’s home, are both currently holding the Apple Halloween 2022 event until October 31! 

Guests can enjoy a mystery-solving event and some adorable photo spots inspired by apples and the Halloween season. By solving certain riddles, visitors will be rewarded with candy!

Come have fun this Halloween with Hello Kitty, friends, and family!

Started in October, the New Show ‘HELLO KITTY THE PARTIES’ Gets Rave Reviews

HELLO KITTY THE PARTIES, a new show at the theater and restaurant HELLO KITTY SHOW BOX, will run until December 30, 2022. The show features a new theme each month and currently features a jazz band.

October’s theme is Happy Halloween Party, and visitors can listen to a number of famous songs while enjoying tasty and healthy dishes packed with autumn flavors. At the end of the performance, a meet and greet with Hello Kitty will be held. November’s theme will be Hello Kitty’s Birthday Party, while December will focus on a Christmas Party!

The popular anime series Free! will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a special event at Saitama Super Arena on August 13, 2023. Cast members from the series, including Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Mamoru Miyano, Tsubasa Yonaga, and Daisuke Hirakawa, will be in attendance. Free! -the Final Stroke- The Second Volume will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5, 2023, and will include a priority purchase application ticket for the special event. Check out the official website for details!

The Free! anime franchise, which is loosely based on the High Speed! light novels by Kouji Ooji, began in 2013 and includes three TV series and multiple films produced by Kyoto Animation. The three anime series–Free!, Free! Eternal Summer, and Free! Dive to the Future–have been incredibly popular around the world. The first part of Free! The Final Stroke was released in theaters last year, with the second part hitting theaters in April 2022. Fans won’t want to miss out on the exciting 10th-anniversary activities in 2023!

©おおじこうじ・京都アニメーション／岩鳶町後援会2021

Musical duo GARNiDELiA has released the music video for Genai Yugi, the opening theme song for the anime series My Master Has No Tail. 

The new song features a playful electro sound that has become GARNiDELiA’s trademark, and the track’s lyrics are perfect for the anime series. The music video shows MARiA as a temptress and toku as a detective, and viewers will be pulled into the pair’s bewitching performance. MARiA’s vogue dancing is also worth a watch! “We’ve transformed our feelings about art into a grown-up love game! Be sure to check out the tail dance,” MARiA said in a comment. “The melody blends royal pops and a hint of bewitching playfulness. We hope you’ll enjoy the beat and the speed of the Latin trumpet,” toku said. 

Genai Yugi – GARNiDELiA (Music Video)

On October 19, GARNiDELiA will release Oukaranman, the latest song in their dance series. The duo has been taking on different dance challenges for some time, with videos pulling in over 200 million times. The most popular is Gokuraku Jodo with over 85 million views.

GARNiDELiA has announced the start of the GARNiDELiA 3.0 Project, an NFT art project featuring a number of characters inspired by the duo’s popular stage costumes.

In collaboration with Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO), a Web 3.0 fan-based project, world-renowned illustrator YULIA has created fictional illustrations of characters inspired by GARNiDELiA’s stage costumes.

Those purchasing an NFT will be able to set the illustration as their social media profile picture and will be available for purchase by fans from around the world.

A pop-up store sponsored by the Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO) project will be held at Laforet Harajuku from September 5 until September 16 to celebrate the project’s launch and the group’s 12th anniversary on September 11. The GARNiDELiA booth will feature costumes worn by the duo on stage and live videos. 

The pop-up store will also feature collaborative items by illustrator NAPPY and designer Ankin, so come check it out!