Celebrating the rise of Japanese pop culture, Zipangu is a new music festival designed to showcase Japan’s vibrant music scene. The inaugural event took place on May 16 at the Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and it featured a star-studded lineup: 10-FEET, Ado, ATARASHII GAKKO!, CHANMINA, HANA, MAN WITH A MISSION, TeddyLoid, and Yuki Chiba.
Photo Credit: Ryo Kawakami and Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle)
The event kicked off with TeddyLoid, a last-minute addition, who performed remixes of songs by the night’s performing artists like Ado and CHANMINA. Although most EDM lovers were likely in Las Vegas that weekend for EDC, the DJ was a nice addition for fans who arrived early enough to enjoy his set as they walked the festival grounds. Then, girl group HANA took the stage and brought a fierce girl crush vibe, performing energetic songs such as “Blue Jeans,” “Bad Love,” and “Rose” that invigorated the crowd.
Photo Credit: Ryo Kawakami and Viola Kam (V’z Twinkle)
Next up was 10-FEET, a rock band known for their diverse musical styles. They performed both original songs like “1sec.” and covers of American bands that inspired them throughout their career including Bon Jovi’s “Living’ on a Prayer.” Then, female soloist CHANMINA appeared to showcase her command of the stage. As she says in her song, “I’m a Pop,” she is an artist that experiments in multiple genres and cannot be confined within one category. From upbeat, pop-style songs like “BIJIN” and metal rock genre songs such as “Daikirai” to rap-focused tracks like “Picky,” the artist clearly demonstrated her musical versatility and range.
Following CHANMINA’s set, MAN WITH A MISSION was the first to request no phones and recordings of their performance. Fans respectfully abided by the rock band’s wishes, savoring the live performance with no devices. The band performed various songs used as openings songs for multiple anime series such as My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Gundam, earning loud synchronized cheering from the crowd who vigorously waved their lighsticks. It was a moment of musical unity as everyone enjoyed their favorite anime tracks together.
While MAN WITH A MISSION’s performance was more theatrical with a dramatic flair, girl group ATARASHII GAKKO! was theatrical in a more comedic, playful way. Donning their signature school outfits, ATARASHII GAKKO! was up next and performed their hit songs like “Tokyo Calling,” “OTONABLUE,” and “Chanka Chanka.” The quartet busted out their best dance moves and acrobatics, stage props, and humorous videos that played on the screens behind them. Most notably, during “Pineapple Kryptonite,” the group had buff characters of themselves on screen dancing, eliciting laughter from the crowd and brightening the mood despite the dimming light.
Entering the final couple performances of the night, male artist Yuki Chiba took the stage. While he is known for his rapping, he showed a different side of himself. He performed several slow, jazzy tracks, opting to sing rather than show off his signature rap flow. For songs like “Gifted,” fans waved their phone lights in the air, turning the venue into a “starry night sky.” Of course, his set wouldn’t be complete without something for the hip hop lovers, as he wrapped up with “Annyeonghaseyo” and “Team Tomodachi,” while running through the crowd during his last song.
For the highly anticipated and final act of the night, female soloist ADO appeared to loud cheers from the crowd. Known for her strong vocals, the singer performed some of her biggest hits—”Show,” “Usseewa,” and “Gira Gira,” to name a few. Fans were ecstatic, singing along to her genre-bending music. EDM beats hit heavily, rock synths blared from her live band, and fun pop songs also had the crowd jumping. She even surprised fans with a melodic cover of “Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me),” originally by Miki Matsubara, paying homage to the city pop genre and its impact in spreading Japanese culture and music. Ado wrapped up her set with “New Genesis” from ONE PIECE FILM RED, setting the crowd’s energy alight. She was the perfect closer for the festival, as she herself was a blend of every genre that had graced the stage.
At Zipangu, the various genres and artists offered something for every festivalgoer. There were young kids dancing along to Ado and ATARASHII GAKKO!, older audience members enjoying the music from picnic benches that were scattered around the festival grounds, and fans in their twenties and thirties in the general admission crowds jumping along to CHANMINA and MAN WITH A MISSION. During HANA’s set, a young girl could be seen on the large screens sitting atop her father’s shoulders and crying over seeing the group performing live. Another instance showed a young fan screaming along to MAN WITH A MISSION while wearing a green and black patterned jacket, cosplaying as Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer.
Additionally, other artists and entertainers attended the festival to support their fellow performing artists. For example, girl group Phantom Siita could be seen in the crowd enjoying HANA’s set. Likewise, as CHANMINA performed, female singer UMI could be seen dancing in the crowd alongside the members of HANA. Actors like Matt Bennett and Christopher Sean, and HYBE X GEFFEN’s upcoming girl group Saint Satine could all also be found walking around the festival enjoying the music, food, and experience. During CHANMINA’s set, she also revealed that she was childhood friends with ATARASHII GAKKO! member Mizyu, sharing her excitement over being able to see her friend’s performance.
Zipangu had a goal of uniting people across all cultures through a shared love and appreciation for Japanese music and culture. In that regard, the event was certainly a success. Despite a few technical hiccups delaying fans from entering the venue in a timely manner and VIP and SVIP ticket holders getting stuck in their merchandise pack pickup line for hours, the performances made up for the logistical errors. With this being the event’s first edition, there’s high hopes for improvements and another colorful celebration of Japanese music for next year’s edition.
