Welcome to The Avocado’s weekly discussion of Japanese pop culture! (Sorry, this got a little long, so just a quick reminder that you can hit that button in the bottom right corner to skip down to the comments). Sometimes I go back and look at some of the first headers I created for this thread, and it can be a very strange experience. For many of them I can feel how tentative and nervous I was to write about the things I like, but mostly I marvel at how much has changed since then. For example, I now have so many more resources for finding and enjoying Japanese pop culture in general and music in particular. There are still plenty of barriers, of course, but as I sit here watching my Kenshi Yonezu (米津玄師) Blu-ray for the third day in a row, I’m struck by how this would have seemed impossible when I first wrote about his music in 2020. But today’s header isn’t meant to be about me reminiscing, it’s meant to be about why I’d be watching the same Blu-ray three days in a row. Simple answer? It’s perfect.
The Blu-ray comes with one of the limited edition versions of Yonezu’s 2024 album LOST CORNER and is a recording of the July 2nd, 2023 FANTASY tour at Yokohama Arena. That’s a lot of words to say it’s a concert. But a better description would probably be…transcendent experience? I didn’t look at what songs were included ahead of time, so I got to experience the excitement of hearing many surprises as some of my oldest favorites were included, along with more recent singles, and not just his biggest hits either. So it truly felt like a journey through his artistry up to that point. And the art and skill on display really shine in each performance. How do these musicians play these songs? I am stunned by their ability. Also, I haven’t seen many videos of Yonezu performing live, so I wasn’t fully prepared for how much heart and passion pours out of his performances. And the production of the show was beyond amazing! The dancers were incredible and really embodied the spirit of the songs they were a part of. Like, this is exactly how my brain and heart responds when I listen to “Kanden” (感電), how did they know?!
But what really left me breathless (and compelled me to rewatch it immediately after finishing) were the moments that brought me to tears because they were just so beautiful. I was already over the moon hearing him start one of my earliest favorites, “Haiirotoao” (灰色と青) but I didn’t expect to be sobbing by the end.1To be honest, I had a lot of emotions watching this, and I think part of that is Kenshi Yonezu’s music was perhaps my biggest motivation to start learning Japanese. So it’s kind of tied up in my journey, which hasn’t been easy. For example, I was actually a bit surprised to be moved so much by “Lemon” mostly because I’ve heard it SO MANY TIMES you’d think some of the power would be lessened by now, but I it isn’t. It still feels fresh, and I’m transported back to the first time I heard it. I also think it’s only gotten more powerful as I start to understand more of the words when I’m listening. It’s one thing to read a translation, but to actually hear a word every now and then feels like a tiny miracle. And yet, I can’t help feeling frustrated by all the words I still don’t know. I want to understand so much more, and it always feels just a little out of reach. But when I watch something like this, I feel like I have to keep going. There’s a moment late in the song where everything goes silent for around 10 seconds. There isn’t a single sound to be heard. Your eyes are just glued to this genius standing on the stage with a guitar, waiting for that moment where you can hear the quietest intake of breath to signal he’s about to resume singing this tender song, and that’s where your heart aches in the best way and the tears just start flowing. And by “you” I mean “me” of course.
I wish I had more than my clumsy words and poorly-made gifs (and the trailer below) to share with you all, but I hope I was able to convey at least some why I love this concert (and Yonezu’s music) so much. And I hope that this will be available to stream someday because I think even casual fans would be enthralled. If you’re new to his music, or you’ve only heard a couple of his songs before, I put together a YouTube playlist of all the songs on the setlist, which you can listen to here. I think it’s a pretty great introduction to his range.
And, as always…
What have you been watching/reading/playing/eating/listening to lately?
Happy Wednesday! 👹