With March almost at an end, the number of Japanese artists announcing performances overseas continues to rise. This is a list of 7 Japanese artists performing outside Japan in the first half of 2019.
・TK from Ling Tosite Sigure
TK from Ling Tosite Sigure has received huge international attention for his collaborations with Tokyo Ghoul which have been enjoyed by countless non-Japanese fans on music streaming services. This includes unravel which was used as Tokyo Ghoul’s first opening theme, and katharsis, the second opening theme for season two of Tokyo Ghoul:re. The singer is set to take his ‘katharsis Tour’ to Asia this April.
Kana Hanazawa is lauded for her immense work in voice acting. She is also hugely successful as an artist and singer.
Hanazawa is set to become the first Japanese female solo artist to perform at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai on April 14, 2019. She boasts overwhelming popularity in China for her work in anime as well as her hit songs. Her Chinese fans’ dreams are about to be realised as she performs for them a long-awaited show.
RADWIMPS dropped their recent album ANTI ANTI GENERATION in December last year and recently announced a live tour which includes their first ever solo stadium show. The band are also set to perform two dates at the 2019 Strawberry Music Festival in China.
◼︎Information
2019 Strawberry Music Festival
Radwimps Performance Dates:
2019/4/26 @ INTERNATIONAL INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE PARK, Chengdu
2019/4/28 @ SHANGHAI COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUB, Shangai
ONE OK ROCK has become one of the most popular Japanese rock bands overseas. They recently released their first album in nearly two years Eye of the Storm on February 13, 2019 and have announced a 10-date UK & European tour set to take place throughout May.
Aimer recently announced that she will head to Asia in June on a 5-date tour entitled Aimer “soleil et pluie” Asia Tour. She previously performed in Asia last year alongside amazarashi, but this marks her first ever solo tour thhere. The theme of the tour is “sun and rain” which ties in with the concepts behind her forthcoming albums Sun Dance and Penny Rain.
Suchmos will release their 3rd studio album THE ANYMAL on March 27, 2019. The rock group are currently knee deep in their 2019 arena tour and are set to perform alongside HYUKOH in Seoul, South Korea in June. Tickets go on sale on April 2 at 12:00 (South Korea time).
◼︎Information
THE LIVE Vol.2:Suchmos & HYUKOH
Date: June 9, 2019
It has been announced that Wednesday Campanella will perform at the Second Sky Music Festival at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland, California on June 15. This marks Wednesday Campanella’s second time performing at a festival in the US following her appearance at Camp Flog Gnaw in October 2017.
As we make headway into the new year, information on Japanese artists performing outside of Japan continues to roll out. This first article covers Japanese artists set to perform concerts overseas in the first half of 2019.
・Perfume
The global popularity of multi-platinum electro J-pop group Perfume is clear for all to see, with their latest album Future Pop released back in August charting in at No.1 in 20 countries across the world. And now, international fans in the US and Asia will be excited to hear that the trio are set to hit a city near them in March and April this year.
Full Details:https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/138536
・SID
SID announced at their 15th anniversary tour Ichiban Suki na Basho 2018 that they are set to perform four dates in Asia.
Full Details:https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/144270
■InformationSID 15th Anniversary ASIA TOUR “THE PLACE WHERE WE LOVE MOST 2019”
2019/2/15 @ Legacy Taipei, Taipei
2019/2/20 @ MacPherson Stadium, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
2019/2/22 @ BANDAI NAMCO SHANGHAI BASE DREAM HALL, Shanghai
2019/2/24 @ Tango Live House, Beijing
SID Official Website: https://sid-web.info
・Kenshi Yonezu
Kenshi Yonezu took the charts by storm in 2018 breaking many records with a string of singles. While riding this wave of success, it has been announced that Yonezu will embark on his first ever arena tour which begins today on January 19. Two dates in Shanghai and Taipei have been added to the tour.
Full Details:https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/158468
■InformationKenshi Yonezu When The Spine Becomes Opal
2019/3/19 @ Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai
2019/3/30 @ National Taiwan University Sports Center, Taipei
Kenshi Yonezu Official Weibo: https://www.weibo.com/u/6888753808?is_hot=1
Kenshi Yonezu Official Website: http://reissuerecords.net/
・Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra celebrate their 30th anniversary this year, and what better way to kick off it off than performing at Lollapalooza Chilie in March. Before they do however they will first perform at PA’L NORTE 2019, a 2-day music and art festival in Monterrey, Mexico. They are part of a line-up consisting of big names such as Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon and Santana.
Full Details:https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/146658
■InformationLollapalooza Chile
Location: O’Higgins Park, Chile
Date: March 29, 2019 – March 31, 2019
Event Page: https://www.lollapaloozacl.com/PA’L NORTE 2019
Location: Monterrey, Mexico
Date: March 22, 2019 – March 23, 2019
Event Page:https://www.palnorte.com.mx/
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Official Website: https://www.tokyoska.net/
・Taichi Mukai
Taichi Mukai is in the midst of his 2018-2019 "Pure Tour" to promote his newest album PURE. The artist is gaining much attention not just in Japan but across Asia too. Mukai is set to perform in Asia for the first time beginning on March 22.
Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/155274
■InformationASIA TOUR 2019
2019/3/22 @ THE WALL TAIPEI, Taiwan
2019/3/24 @ Megaport Festival, Taiwan
2019/3/29 @ Jiangjinjiu, Beijing
2019/3/30 @ HOULIVE, Shenzen
2019/3/31/ @ Modern Sky Lab, Shanghai
2019/4/6 @ HANATOUR V-Hall, South Korea
Taichi Mukai Official Website: http://taichimukai.com/
・HYDE
HYDE started his solo music career up again last year and has various planned for 2019. He performed at L’Arc-en-Ciel's 2018 Christmas live show "L’ArChristmas" and will embark on an Asia tour in March.
■Information
ーHYDE WORLD TOUR 2019 ASIAー
2019/3/27 @ Shanghai
2019/3/29 @ Beijing
2019/3/31 @ Chengdu
2019/4/2 @ Hong Kong
2019/4/4 @ Taipei
*Ticket details TBA.
HYDE Official Website: https://www.hyde.com
・GARNiDELiA
GARNiDELiA released Kyoki Ranbu on September 26 this year, an album compiling every song from their internationally acclaimed online dance series including their hit song Gokuraku Jodo. The pop rock duo have announced that they will embark on their biggest Asia tour to date including shows in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Full Details:https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/150236
■Informationstellacage Asia Tour 2019 “Kyoki Ranbu”
2019/3/21 @ Mynavi BLITZ Akasaka, Tokyo
2019/3/30 @ MacPherson Stadium, Hong Kong
2019/4/13 @ Zepp@BIGBOX, Singapore
2019/6/23 @ PENNY LANE 24, Hokkaido
2019/6/30 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
2019/7/7 @ Diamond Hall, Aichi
2019/7/27 @ DRUM LOGOS, Fukuoka
GARNiDELiA Official Website: http://www.garnidelia.com/
・Wednesday Campanella
Wednesday Campanella is no stranger to performing solo concerts and at festivals outside Japan. The next place to be graced by KOM_I's incredible performance is Barcelona for the Primavera Sound music festival.
Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/150817
To all lovers of J-pop, J-rock and any kind of Japanese artist or band living outside Japan - if an artist is coming to a place near you, show your support and don't miss the opportunity to see them live.
Writer: Heir
ONE OK ROCK is now massively popular around the world. The rock band has just announced a Japan Dome tour set to be held in Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka, Tokyo, and Saitama starting in January 2023.The band released the new album LUXURY DISEASE in September, followed by a 23-city North American tour. Venues across the states have completely sold out, and ONE OK ROCK has already announced that it will join MUSE on its North American tour. Keep an eye out for more information!
A new key visual and trailer have been released ahead of the premiere of the Dark Gathering anime series next summer. The main cast has also been announced, with Yu Sasahara playing Yayoi Hozuki, Nobunaga Shimazaki playing Keitaro Gentoga, and Kana Hanazawa playing Eiko Hozuki. The cast has also provided comments, which you can read below!The Dark Gathering manga was launched in Shueisha’s Jump SQ in March 2019. Created by Kenichi Kondo, the series follow Keitaro Gentoga, a boy with the ability to see spirits. A shut-in for over two years, he slowly reintroduces himself to society as a private tutor, where he meets an incredibly smart girl named Yayoi Hozuki. She’s instantly able to see Keitaro’s mysterious skill and quicking invites him to go with her to a haunted place. From there, the two begin capturing evil spirits.The anime is being directed at OLM by Hiroshi Ikehata, known for his work on FLCL Progressive. Shigeru Murakoshi is in charge of series composition while Shinya Segawa provided character designs.The key visual shows the three main characters in front of a spooky Torii gate, each holding candles to add to the mysterious atmosphere.
The trailer also shows the three characters in action and is filled with traditional horror elements. Fans certainly have their hopes up for this one!
Keep an eye out for more details about Dark Gathering ahead of its broadcast in the summer of 2023!
Cast Comments
Yu Sasahara (Yayoi Hozuki)“I’m Yu Sasahara, and I’m happy to announce that I’ll be playing the role of Yayoi Hozuki! I’ve always loved spooky occult stories, so when I asked to audition for Dark Gathering, I quickly read the original manga and was overwhelmed by its incredible world. It was so fascinating! I felt like I was meant to play Yayoi! I’ll do my best to make sure that everyone enjoys both the horror and the fighting elements, so let’s go!!”Nobunaga Shimazaki (Keitaro Gentoga)“Keitaro is a boy who’s attracted to the occult and who is constantly being pushed around by ghosts and his occult-loving childhood friends. Something I love about him is that no matter how many times he finds himself in a bad situation, he always manages to react in a different way and never gets accustomed to it. Even people who don’t typically like horror might like this series just for Keitaro’s reactions! (laugh)The staff and cast have worked incredibly hard to bring this series to life. Ghost-centric horror anime is pretty rare these days, so I hope that you’ll love it as much as the original manga!”Kana Hanazawa (Eiko Hozuki)“To be honest, I’m not good with horror. Dark Gathering is seriously scary, but putting myself into Eiko’s shoes made things easier! She’s so excited by psychic phenomena that she’s strangely okay with the terrifying things happening around her. Sure, she’s a little weird, but that’s okay! Eiko, thank you! Both fans who have read the manga and those totally new to the story will have a great time–it’s scary, but it’s super compelling too.”Ⓒ近藤憲一／集英社・ダークギャザリング製作委員会
ONE OK ROCK has become an incredible success with audiences around the world. The Japanese rock band will join Muse’s North American tour starting in February 2023 as special guests along with Evanescence, and the three musical acts will tour arenas in the US and Canada for around a month.The band released their album Luxury Disease in September. Immediately following this, ONE OK ROCK headlined a 23-city North American tour, selling out a number of shows.Be sure to follow ONE OK ROCK as they continue their upward climb to become international superstars!WILL OF THE PEOPLE WORLD TOUR 202302/25/2023 Chicago, IL – United Center02/26/2023 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center02/28/2023 Austin, TX – Moody Center03/02/2023 Houston, TX – Toyota Center03/03/2023 Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena03/05/2023 St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena03/07/2023 Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena03/09/2023 Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena03/11/2023 Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre03/12/2023 Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre03/14/2023 Montreal, QC – Bell Centre03/15/2023 Montreal, QC – Bell Centre03/17/2023 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden03/19/2023 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center*ONE OK ROCK will perform from February 25 until March 19.
Wednesday Campanella made its first appearance on the 254th episode of THE FIRST TAKE, a YouTube channel that captures one-shot musical performances, on October 14, 2022.The group performed the song Edison, and the video currently has over 3.9 million views. Following this incredible success, the band has once again appeared on the channel. Buckingham - Wednesday Campanella / THE FIRST TAKEThe second song performed by the group on THE FIRST TAKE is Buckingham from the digital EP Neon, released in May 2022. Utaha’s rap skills are even more incredible live, and despite the nonsensical lyrics, it’s impossible not to groove along. Be sure to watch Utaha’s unique facial expressions and check out her one-of-a-kind fashion. ■THE FIRST TAKE YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9zY_E8mcAo_Oq772LEZq8Q
Comment from Utaha, Wednesday Campanella's Vocalist
“This song focuses a lot on Kyuden, a district of Setagaya in Tokyo. It also references the spelling by pointing out that Kyuden is spelled with a kanji found in the word for ‘school lunch’ and ‘rice paddy.’ It’s nonsensical, and Kenmochi Hidefumi, who writes the lyrics for our songs, came up with this weird track. There are so many words crammed into such a short song, and honestly, my mouth gets a workout every time I sing it. It switches between really cute and really cool throughout, so I made sure to really focus on each and every facial expression this time!”
Japanese music streaming site RecoChoku has announced the top song and album rankings for September 2022.Ado tops both the single and album charts for the second month in a row with her tracks from the movie ONE PIECE FILM RED. The singer provided the singing voice of Uta, the main character in the film which was released nationwide on August 6, 2022. The theme song for the film, New Genesis, ranked top in the weekly rankings on September 7, September 14, and September 28. Back in August, Ado dominated the charts as well, with I’m Invincible and Where the Wind Blows taking the top spots.Ado also took first place in September’s album ranking with her collection of songs from ONE PIECE FILM RED. A number of other popular artists worked on the album, including Yasutaka Nakata, Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Vaundy, FAKE TYPE., Hiroyuki Sawano, Yuta Orisaka, and Motohiro Hata. The album for the film also ranked top in the weekly rankings on September 7, September 14, and September 28. In August, Ado took the top spot for both most popular song and most popular album on RecoChoku’s download ranking, and the singer has done it again in September.
If you haven’t listened to Ado's collection of songs from the new ONE PIECE film, this is your sign to do so.