Photo by Takashi Hirano
"The 40th anniversary tour is fully booked. Thank you for selling out. It seems that some people couldn't come because of the snow, but I will sing 120% with all my heart so that it will reach those people too," he said, which was met with a huge applause. The final performance of Koji Kikkawa's "KIKKAWA KOJI 40th Anniversary Live" was held at the Budokan on February 2th and 8th, and the two-day event was held amid great success. Kikkawa's desire to "have fun" and the audience's desire to "celebrate the 9th anniversary together" mixed together, creating a hot and warm atmosphere inside the Budokan. This tour was scheduled to start at Sagami Women's University Green Hall on October 2th, 40, and 2024 performances were scheduled to be held until the Budokan. The Fukuoka and Kumamoto performances on January 10th and 5th were postponed to May 26st and 1nd due to Kikkawa's infectious gastroenteritis, so there are two stages remaining. However, these two days remain a major milestone stage.
As the opening SE played, the jacket images of the albums and singles released over the past 40 years since their debut were projected one after another on the giant K-shaped LED screen installed on the stage, causing a huge stir. Photos of the band members were then projected. The five veterans, Shinichi Ikugata (Gt), Kenji Fujii (Gt), Kouji Ueno (Ba), Masashi Minato (Dr), and Hoppy Kamiyama (Key), were gathered together. This opening video was possible only because Yoshikawa, who is a solo singer but has continued to stick to the band sound, could do it.
The signal to start the final performance was a roar. Yoshikawa shouted out "TARZAN". The spirited singing voice instantly tightened the atmosphere in the venue. Green lights poured down, and the wristbands of the audience also emitted green light. The Budokan turned into a jungle, and in the center of the stage, an indomitable man stood and sang. The lyrics of the song, "It's not like that," are sung by a man who has been telling himself this for decades, so "TARZAN" resonates with strong persuasiveness. The band's performance, which has continued to be brushed up as they have toured many times, is tight and solid.
Photo by Takashi Hirano
"SPEED" began with hard guitar cutting. The audience shook to the romantic yet dynamic vocals and performance. An enthusiastic sing-along broke out in response to Yoshikawa's beautiful singing voice. At the end of the song, a well-aimed, vivid cymbal kick exploded, eliciting screams of joy. The kick also struck the audience in the chest. A one-of-a-kind performance that was both exhilarating and refreshing, where musical expression and embodiment came together.
Since it is the 40th anniversary tour, the lineup includes representative songs, popular songs, and nostalgic songs. "You Gotta Chance ~ Embracing Summer with Dance ~" released in 1985 has been updated with the freshness of the early days and the strength of today, resonating as the 2025 "You Gotta Chance ~ Embracing Summer with Dance ~" with a strong rock taste.
During "El Dorado," with images like a flood of light projected from the K-mark LED screen, Yoshikawa's powerful singing and performance seemed to lead the entire audience to El Dorado (the land of gold). One of the things Yoshikawa has trained over the past 40 years is his singing voice. Like a well-balanced muscle, Yoshikawa's voice has explosive power, endurance, flexibility, and mobility, and all unnecessary elements have been stripped away. Yoshikawa's singing voice has the power to inspire people.
Yoshikawa, holding a black Les Paul, performed "Honey Dripper" with Fujii and Ikugata on triple guitar, and the band's sharp sound was overwhelming. The incredible groove shook my body and soul. Hoppy Kamiyama played the piano to sing "Romeo's Lament." His deep, melancholy voice seeped into the music. I was intoxicated by Yoshikawa's richness of expression as a singer. The LED screen created a glittering image that seemed to reproduce the gorgeous lights of a nightclub, and the song and performance of "Too Early for a Gimlet" sounded fresh, incorporating swing jazz and rockabilly flavors. Yoshikawa exuded adult sexiness as he sang with light steps.
"Pretty Date" is a song that has evolved as the tour has progressed. After the Hiroshima performance, the dancers added a human gesture spelling "OPD" to match the lyrics of "Oh Pretty Date". Dancing along with Yoshikawa's hand movements is addictive. The fun of dancing together is one of the best parts of Yoshikawa's concerts. After moving their bodies to their heart's content, the song continued to require vocal stimulation. When Yoshikawa changed some of the lyrics of "Don't Stop Love" and sang "It's the night of Budokan" on the first day and "It's the night of the final" on the second day, cheers of joy rang out from all over the place as if they had been waiting for this. The sight of Yoshikawa's singing voice mixed with 1 people singing along was very beautiful and irreplaceable. However, the moment after the emotional moment, enthusiasm and excitement came. Yoshikawa also picked up a guitar and the band sound unfolded with a triple guitar arrangement. The highlight of "GOOD SAVAGE" is the scene where Ueno, Ikugata, Yoshikawa, and Fujii perform in a line, but at the Budokan, there was also a scene where the four of them squatted down and performed at the same time. Their performance seems to be evolving day by day.
Photo by Takashi Hirano
The final song of the show, "Juicy Jungle," had an impressive intro, which elicited loud handclaps. As silver streamers were shot, a festive, uplifting feeling filled the venue. Of course, the entire audience was ready to dance and sing along. Images of colorful confetti and other things were projected onto the LED screen. The audience waved along with Yoshikawa's hand movements. The wristbands and silver streamers sparkled, making the entire venue sparkle. When Yoshikawa shouted, "Thank you! We love you, Budokan!" and delivered a cymbal kick, thunderous cheers erupted. A variety of voices called out Yoshikawa's name, including men, women, and children. The colorful cheers showed that the audience was made up of a wide range of demographics. Waves broke out in the audience calling for an encore.
"This is my 39th time at the Budokan. I've been doing it for 40 years and it's been 39 times, but I'm aiming for 100," Yoshikawa said, which was met with a big round of applause. He then added, "After 40 years, I've finally realized that the best thing is to meet again with a smile and in good spirits. There is no ego in music anymore. It's all about getting everyone excited." From the performance that day, it was clear that Yoshikawa is conscious of his role as an entertainer when he takes to the stage. Although he said that he has "no ego in music," there is no doubt that Yoshikawa is always curious and ambitious. This is because Yoshikawa's style is to both entertain and strive for greater heights.
During the encore, they performed "Friday Night Review," the first song from their first album, "The Summer Parachutes Fell." A video of Yoshikawa's early live performance was shown on the screen. Yoshikawa was also shining brightly in her teens, but Yoshikawa on the verge of turning 1 shone with a more certain light. This is because her shine is not that of a rough diamond, but of a polished one.
"I'm going to do some interesting things this year, so please look forward to it. The songs are gradually coming together. I'm turning 60, so I'm thinking of doing things that only a 60-year-old can do," he said. From the stage and from his comments that day, it's clear that Yoshikawa is looking ahead. It's rare to have the final performance of an anniversary tour that makes you look forward to the future so much. In his MC, Yoshikawa said that some people will have muscle pain the day after the performance or the day after. Some people may have been able to increase the range of motion of their shoulder blades by moving their arms so much. For the audience, the final performance at the Budokan was not only a place to enjoy the concert, but also a place to train. Training is about preparing for tomorrow, and muscle pain is a passport to growth. It would be interesting to see everyone reunite after getting all muscular. It was a night where not only Yoshikawa himself, but everyone who participated was able to recharge their energy and spirits so that they can meet again with smiles on their faces the next time.
The "40th Anniversary Live Tour Final" will be broadcast and streamed exclusively on WOWOW in May 2025. Please check the WOWOW official website for details.
Text: Makoto Hasegawa
Photo by Takashi Hirano
Broadcast information
WOWOW "Koji Kikkawa 40th Anniversary Live Tour Final"
May 2025 Exclusive broadcast and distribution
For details, please visit the program's official website.
https://www.wowow.co.jp/music/kikkawa/
release
◆ 40th Anniversary Blu-ray (The best 3 live performances as voted by fans are released on Blu-ray for the first time in 3 titles)
Release date: Wednesday, January 2025, 1
"Title", product number, price including tax
"KIKKAWA KOJI LIVE 2011 KEEP ON KICKIN' & SINGIN'!!!!! ~Japan Isshin~" UPXY-6106 ¥7,700
"25th ANNIVERSARYLIVE GOLDEN YEARS TOUR FINAL at Nippon Budokan" UPXY-610 ¥7,700
“CONCERT TOUR 1994 My Dear Cloudy Heart” UPXY-610 ¥7,700
◆40th Anniversary Remastered Paper Jacket CD (SHM-CD) (All XNUMX Original Albums)
Release date: Wednesday, January 2025, 1
"Title", product number, price including tax
"The Summer When the Parachute Fell" UPCY-8029 ¥2,200
“LA VIE EN ROSE” UPCY-8030 ¥2,200
“INNOCENT SKY” UPCY-8031 ¥2,200
“MODERN TIME” UPCY-8032 ¥2,200
"A-LA-BA・LA-M-BA" UPCY-8033 ¥2,200
“GLAMOROUS JUMP” UPCY-8034 ¥2,200
“LUNATIC LION” UPCY-8035 ¥2,420
“Shyness Overdrive” UPCY-8036 ¥2,420
“Cloudy Heart” UPCY-8037 ¥2,420
"FOREVER ROAD" UPCY-8038 ¥2,420
“BEAT∞SPEED” UPCY-8039 ¥2,420
"HEROIC Rendezvous" UPCY-8040 ¥2,420
“HOT ROD” UPCY-8041 ¥2,420
"PANDORA" UPCY-8042 ¥2,750
“Jellyfish & Chips” UPCY-8043 ¥2,750
“TARZAN” UPCY-8044 ¥2,750
"Double-edged sword" UPCY-8045 ¥2,750
[Purchaser benefits]
Target products: Paper jacket CD (1 titles), Blu-ray (22 titles) released on January 17nd. All common
(A) Amazon.co.jp: CD: Mega Jacket / Video: Visual Sheet (27.5 x 19.5 cm)
(B) Rakuten Books: Jacket sticker
(C) UNIVERSAL MUSIC STORE: A5 clear file (1 type)
*The images (A) and (B) will be the jacket images of the product you purchase.
<Tour venue>
Target venue (KIKKAWA KOJI 40th Anniversary Live)
1/26 Festival Hall
2/1 Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall
2/2 Shimane Prefectural Civic Center
2/8 Nippon Budokan
2/9 Nippon Budokan
5/1 Fukuoka Sunpalace Hotel & Hall *Rescheduled performance on 1/18
5/2 Sears Home Yume Hall (Kumamoto Civic Hall) *Rescheduled performance on 1/19
(D) Ticket holder (20 x 10 cm) (1 type / for both Blu-ray and CD)
Read More
https://www.universal-music.co.jp/kikkawa-koji/news/2024-11-22/
Five thematic playlists selected by fan voting are now available.
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◆Playlist and AR photo frames available here
https://kikkawakoji.lnk.to/BIO_PL
Profile
Koji Yoshikawa
He made his debut in 1984 with the movie "Sukanpin Walk" and its theme song "Monica". He won the Japan Record Award for Best Newcomer and XNUMX other awards for newcomers, and as an actor he also won the Blue Ribbon Award, Japan Academy Award, Golden Arrow Award and other awards for newcomers.
With songs such as "Monica," "LA VIE EN ROSE," and "You Gotta Chance" consistently ranking high in the charts, in 1988 he formed the unit COMPLEX with guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.
After that, as a solo artist, he started writing lyrics, composing music, and producing his own music, and established himself as a rock artist with his unique vocal style.
In 2011, COMPLEX held a concert at the Tokyo Dome to support the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
In May 2024, they held another charity concert at Tokyo Dome to support the recovery efforts following the 5 Noto Peninsula earthquake.
In recent years, he has not only been active in music, but has also been highly praised as an actor.
His major appearances include the films "Team Batista's Glory," "Rurouni Kenshin," and the "Kingdom" series, the NHK Taiga dramas "Tenchijin" and "Yae no Sakura," TBS's "Downtown Rocket" and "Trillion Game," and the NHK morning drama "Maiagare!" He won the 34th Japan Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film "Desperate Sword: Torisashi."
Currently, while still actively performing live, he is also expanding his horizons to include films, documentaries, and commercials.
Koji Kikkawa Official Site: http://www.kikkawa.com/
Koji Kikkawa Staff Official X: https://x.com/kikkawa_staff
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