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NEWS EVENT SPECIAL SERIES

A­R­T­I­S­T­S

Artists creating content together

Toshiki Okada

#STAGE

Playwright / Novelist / President of chelfitsch. Noted for the unique relationship between words and body in his method, he won the 49th Kishida Kunio Drama Award in 2005 for “Five Days in March,” and since 2016 has been writing and directing works for the German public theater repertory on an ongoing basis. In recent years, he has been actively collaborating with artists in various fields, further expanding his activities by directing the opera “Yuzuru” (2021) and writing and directing the Kabuki play “Sakurahime Tojiken” (2023) at Kinoshita Kabuki. As a novelist, he won the 2nd Oe Kenzaburo Prize in 2007 for “The End of the Special Time Allowed to Us” (Shinchosha), and the 35th Mishima Yukio Award and the 64th Kumanichi Literary Award in 2022 for “Broccoli Revolution” (Shinchosha).

haru.

#ART

Born in 1995. He grew up traveling back and forth between Japan and Germany from an early age. He launched the independent magazine HIGH(er)magazine as editor-in-chief when he was a student, and launched HUG Inc. in 2019 to develop creative direction and content production business. In April 2024, he launched HEAP, an innerwear brand as creative director. Reissued HIGH(er)magazine as a concept magazine for the brand after a five-year absence. Plans to release a collection twice a year.

She Her Her Hers

#MUSIC

An alternative band formed by Hiroyasu Takahashi, Taiki Matsuura, and Tomasong, known for their dynamic and boundary-pushing sound.

The band gained significant momentum in 2019 with the release of their third album, Location. That same year, they signed with the Chinese label Weary Bird Records (Taihei Music Group) and successfully completed a seven-city tour in China, marking their breakthrough into the Asian music scene.

Their creativity continued to flourish with the release of Afterglow in March 2022, followed by Diffusion of Responsibility in November 2023. The latter album inspired their largest undertaking yet: the “Diffusion of Responsibility” Asia Tour 2023-2024, which featured 17 solo performances across 16 cities, solidifying their presence in the region.

In October 2024, the band released their latest album, Pathway, and wrapped up their journey with a triumphant solo performance at Tokyo’s iconic Ebisu LIQUIDROOM.

ALAN

#MUSIC

Formed in 2019, this 5-piece band is based in Tokyo. The band's two overlapping guitars and strong vocals create lyrics and songs with a unique world view. The music is close to the daily lives of “adults living in Tokyo today”.

xiangyu

A solo artist who began performing live in September 2018, she released her first EP, “Hajimete no XX Zukan” in May 2019; in November 2023, she released an EP, “OTO-SHIMONO” with Gimgigam as sound producer, incorporating genres such as ama piano and rubber. In addition to music, he has expanded his activities in many other fields, including fashion, art, film appearances, and writing. In 2022, he starred in and sang the theme song for the film “Hottobori Melt Sounds” and published his first book, “Tokidoki Kotobuki” In April 2025, he released his first album, “Shunyu no katamari”.

Manami Kakudo

音楽家、打楽器奏者。長崎県の山と川に囲まれ育つ。マリンバをはじめとする様々な打楽器、自身の声、言葉、さまざまな身の回りのものを用いて、楽曲制作やパフォーマンスなど自由な表現活動を展開している。自身のソロ以外に、cero、原田知世、満島ひかり、dip in the pool、滞空時間など様々なアーティストのライヴ・サポート、レコーディングに携わるほか、映画や舞台、ダンスやインスタレーション作品への楽曲提供・音楽制作も行っている。2022年、映画『よだかの片想い』主題歌「夜だか」配信リリース。2024年1月、4年ぶりのソロアルバム「Contact」リリース。

ATARASHII GAKKO!

#MUSIC

A dance-vocal performance unit that stands out from the crowd with their “individuality” and “freedom”. With their aggressive, genre-defying avant-garde performances and self-proclaimed “representative of Japan's youth”, they perform with overwhelming dance skills and singing, as well as comical scenes between songs. Using their unique performance as a base, they perform live.

JU!iE

#MUSIC

Born in China, graduated from a music academy in Beijing, and entered Berklee College of Music in the US by himself. He has formed his own musical style based on Jazz, which he majored in at Berklee College of Music, and is characterized by his global creativity in English, Japanese, and Chinese. In parallel with his artistic activities, he has been active in a wide range of activities such as providing music and producing. She also attracts attention as a model, and has more than 140,000 followers on Instagram and 500,000 followers on weibo.

Ban Obara

#BOOK

Novelist, born in 1996 in Tokyo.

Yusho Takoguchi

Novelist, born in 1982 on Hachijojima Island, Tokyo and raised in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Raised in Saitama, Japan, he made his debut in 2011 when he won the Shincho New Writer Award for "Gakki" (musical instruments); in 2015, he won the Noma Literary New Writer Award for "Love and Life"; and in 2016, he won the Akutagawa Ryunosuke Award for "The Undead". His other books include "The Jimi Hendrix Experience," "The Brilliance of Eggplant," "A Long Day," "Ramen Curry," and "About Sabishi" (co-authored with Kazuko Uemoto, original title "Reciprocal Letter: Hitori ni Narukoto Hana wo Okuruyo").

Yuichi Kishino

#MUSIC #ART

Born in Tokyo, 1963. He has taught at the Graduate School of Film and New Media, Tokyo University of the Arts, the Faculty of Media Expression, Kyoto Seika University, and Art School. He calls himself a "studier" to encompass a wide range of activities, including music units such as "The Bearded Widow" and "Watts Towers. In 2015, he won the Grand Prize in the Entertainment Division at the 19th Japan Media Arts Festival for "The Right Way to Count". He is the producer of "Sumiyume Odori Procession," a dance dedication to the repose of the souls of the dead in Sumida Park, which has recovered from the remarkable damage 100 years after the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Cornelius

Born in Tokyo in 1969, he made his debut as a member of Flipper's Guitar in 1989. In June 2023, he released his 7th original album "Dream In Dream". In 2024, the band will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and on June 26 will release "Ethereal Essence," a collection of works that reconstructs the ambient-tinged works that it has released in recent years. Ethereal Essence" was released on June 26. In addition to his own activities, he is also active in a wide range of other projects, including collaborations, remixes, and productions with numerous artists in Japan and abroad.

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