News On Japan

Ex-AKB48 Star Vows to Continue as Idol

Ex-AKB48 Star Vows to Continue as Idol

Embracing Life After AKB48

TOKYO - Yuki Kashiwagi held the final performance of her live tour "Yuki Kashiwagi 3rd Tour: Yuki-rin World in Dreams and Reality ~10th Anniversary of Solo Debut, Let's Get Lost in Passion♡~" today, January 27, at Zepp DiverCity (TOKYO) in Tokyo. The tour, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Kashiwagi's solo debut, featured a variety of numbers from her solo songs to AKB48 tracks and cover songs, accompanied by her band members, leading the audience into the enchanting "Yuki-rin World."

Kashiwagi, who will graduate from AKB48 this April after more than 17 years of membership, expressed her enthusiasm, "This will be my last solo concert before graduation, so I want to sing both my solo and AKB48 songs. Let's all enjoy it to the end!" She performed "Yuki Kashiwagi's version of GO TO THE BEDS-TRUE SONG," a collaboration with the WACK-affiliated group GO TO THE BEDS, showcasing a strong vocal presence against the hard band sound. Kashiwagi then seamlessly transitioned to singing her signature song "Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby" with sensual appeal.

After temporarily leaving the stage, the band members performed French Kiss's "Rainy day" with full emotion. Kashiwagi returned in a white dress, softly singing her solo debut song "Shortcake" from 2013. She followed with "Birthday wedding" and "Sokkenai Kimi," sharing her thoughts with the audience, "You might know, I've had a rather peculiar solo career, with 'Shortcake' at the start of 2013, 'Birthday wedding' in the latter half of 2013, and 'CAN YOU WALK WITH ME??' in 2021. Thanks to all of you, I'm celebrating my 10th anniversary, and I want to express my gratitude anew."

She then delivered solo ballads such as "Yokaze no Shiwaza," "Chinmoku," and "Kazanbai," showcasing the transparent beauty of her voice that has been praised since her solo debut announcement. Kashiwagi also performed cover songs, including Fujifabric's "Wakamono no Subete" and Sukima Switch's "Kanade," each selected specifically for the Tokyo performance.

During the encore, Kashiwagi sang her WACK-produced solo single "CAN YOU WALK WITH ME??" emotionally, with lyrics that resonate with her idol life. A large shortcake was brought on stage to celebrate her 10th solo debut anniversary, to which she joyfully exclaimed, "I want to continue working hard so we can celebrate the 15th, 20th, 30th anniversaries together with everyone in good spirits!"

As the concert came to a close, Kashiwagi shared her heartfelt thoughts, "Every time I stand on stage, singing and dancing in front of you all, I truly feel that this is what I live for. Although I will graduate from the idol group AKB48, I want to continue singing for as long as possible. Idol is a job you can claim by calling yourself one, but I can do this thanks to all of you, and I hope to deliver more songs to everyone in the future."

With the passionate "Yuki-rin call" beckoning her back, Kashiwagi returned to the stage for one last song, Team B's "Shonichi," singing and dancing vibrantly. "Thanks to everyone, I've had a wonderful 10th anniversary. Seeing your smiles is truly the source of my energy and happiness. I want to continue being someone who brings cheer and happiness whenever you see me," she said with a radiant smile, concluding her last solo performance before graduating from AKB48.

Source: Natalie

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 15 (Chan-hom) is increasingly likely to make landfall between Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures on the Pacific coast of eastern Japan from the evening through the night of August 11, after moving northwest over waters east of Japan at about 15 kilometers per hour as of 9 a.m. on August 10.

Raccoons are increasingly invading homes across Japan, damaging roofs and wiring, contaminating buildings with large amounts of urine and feces, and raising concerns over agriculture, native wildlife and the spread of disease as their population continues to expand.

Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on August 9 with a memorial ceremony near the hypocenter, where Mayor Shiro Suzuki declared nuclear weapons an "absolute evil" and called on the Japanese government to uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles.

Transport services were gradually returning to normal on August 9 after Typhoon No. 13 caused widespread cancellations and shutdowns across Okinawa, although air travel remained disrupted as airlines worked to restore schedules and accommodate passengers stranded during the opening days of Japan's busy Obon holiday period.

Typhoon No. 13 was moving slowly west on the night of August 8 and was expected to approach the Chinese mainland by the night of August 9, but Okinawa, Amami and parts of southern Kyushu remained at risk from strong winds, intermittent heavy rain and dangerous seas even as the storm's center moved farther away.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

In this video we continue the explanation of the plot of the kabuki masterpiece Meiboku Sendai Hagi ("The Precious Incense and Autumn Flowers of Sendai").

Professional video workflows depend less on generating a striking image than on preserving decisions, isolating changes, and handing each shot to the next stage in a form that remains usable.

The average circulation of Weekly Shonen Jump fell below 1 million copies for the first time since official figures began, marking another milestone in the long-term decline of Japan's print manga magazine market.

Feel the heat this August, with the dazzling adventure of THE RIBBON HERO, and new weekly episodes of anime delivering action, discovery, and romance!

Cosplayers representing 10 countries and regions visited Aichi Governor Hideaki Omura and Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa on July 29 ahead of the World Cosplay Summit, one of the world's largest cosplay events, which opens in Nagoya on July 31.

An 88-year-old man and an 84-year-old woman based in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, have been certified by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest professional singing duo.

近年、TikTokは単なるショート動画プラットフォームから、世界中のクリエイターが収益を得る「クリエイター経済」の中心へと進化しています。

Small "marker charms" attached to umbrellas, plastic bottles and other everyday items are becoming a major capsule toy trend in Japan, attracting not only younger consumers but also adults drawn to their practicality, affordability and collectible appeal.