Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16, 2022. Her Japan-based Hold The Girl Tour saw successful shows in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo, with Sawayama generating plenty of buzz. During the final show on the tour, the singer surprised the audience with a cover of Hikaru Utada’s hit songFirst Love. The video of this incredible performance is now available to watch on YouTube!

 

First Love - Rina Sawayama (Hikaru Utada Cover, Tokyo Garden Theatre)

 

Prior to the Tokyo show, Sawayama took to Instagram, posting a comment for fans. “Since this is the biggest show I’ve ever done, I think I should cover a special Japanese track to commemorate the event,” she said. The singer had previously asked fans to share the songs they’d most like to see performed.

 

“Without this artist and without this song, I probably wouldn’t have become a musician or an artist. I heard this track when I was around six years old, and I remember dancing for my parents who were sitting on the sofa. This artist also celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday. This is my first cover, but I think it’s the perfect way to commemorate this special event. Please enjoy,” Sawayama concluded.

 

The audience responded to this surprise with a chorus of excitement, and this was surely an unforgettable night for many fans.

 

Rina is currently on the Hold The Girl Tour in Europe. At the end of March, she will make her Hollywood debut in the fourth John Wickmovie.

The Kingdom Hearts series is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022 with a special collaboration collection! Inspired by the theme of “hearts being connected,” orders are now open on the Super Groupies website until August 15 at noon. A pop-up store will also be held at the Seibu Ikebukuro main store from July 29 until August 2, 2022.     The collection features a gorgeous lineup of 45 unique watches, bags, wallets, outerwear, and umbrellas, featuring nine popular characters: Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Axel, Xion, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra.   Series creator Tetsuya Nomura also created a special illustration for the collaboration, and one postcard featuring the image will be included with each ordered item purchased through the Super Groupies site. Those who preorder items at the Seibu and Sogo department store will receive a set of two cards, plus a live-action postcard with styling photos. These will be delivered with the products ordered. Don't miss out on these unique items! Have you been playing Kingdom Hearts since the early days?   ©Disney

Japanese music streaming site RecoChoku has announced the top song and album rankings for January 2022!   In the Single Ranking category, Aimer’s Zankyosanka was ranked #1 for the second consecutive month. The song is the opening for the newest Demon Slayer anime arc which began airing on December 5, 2021.   The ending theme for Demon Slayer, Asa ga Kuru, was released on January 10, and quickly climbed the ranks. Aimer is currently celebrating the 10th anniversary of her debut, and this is a powerful start to the year for this talented singer.   As for the Album Ranking, the top spot was clear for January. Ado’s 14-song debut album ‘Kyogen’ sits in the top spot, and includes many of her smash hits. From Usseewa to Aitakute, the album also contains seven new songs which are steadily gaining popularity. Six days after the album’s release, it was ranked #1 for the month of January.   Ado’s 8th single ‘Kokoro to Iu Nano Fukakai’ also ranked 5th on the Single Ranking. Written and arranged by Mafumafu, the song is the theme for the drama series Doctor White starring Minami Hamabe. Ado will also be holding her first solo concert at Zepp DiverCity on April 4, 2022!

Japanese cosmetic company Shiseido, sold in 88 countries around the world, has released a new conceptual video for its global “POWER IS YOU” campaign.   The short video features a star-studded cast of ambassadors from a variety of fields, including Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, known for her advocacy and creative style that defies stereotypes. The athlete has commented on her inclusion in the “POWER IS YOU” campaign, proud to show her authentic self and inspire others to live their truth.  

Comment from Megan Rapinoe

“Shiseido makes so many of the products I use in my daily life, so when I was invited to collaborate on this new campaign, I didn’t even have to think about it. Partnering with such a great company means a lot to me. I deeply believe in the individual power of every human being, and I think that anyone has the power to change the world. “POWER IS YOU” represents the power each of us has to alter the world for the better, which is something that resonates with me personally. I want young people especially to know that it is possible to change things. I hope they do, and I hope that this campaign helps to inspire more people to feel the same.”      Conceptual Videeo

  The song used for the campaign is Utada Hikaru’s Find Love. The singer also appears in the video as an ambassador.   

Comment from Utada Hikaru

“The source of all power is believing in yourself.It takes courage to know yourself, but being honest with yourself is the key to finding that inner beauty. Courage is beautiful.”    Finally, Ursula Corbero, who gained international fame for her role in the Netflix series Paper House, appears as the final ambassador. The actress is an avid philanthropist and has long supported a number of causes including breast cancer awareness, childhood cancer awareness, and climate change awareness. She is also the founder of Ymas, a company of artists allowing people to attend movie premieres and special behind-the-scenes events.   

Comment from Ursula Corbero

“Inner beauty comes from positivity. Tap into your individual energy, and if there’s something you want to do, do it! It’s okay to make mistakes. Life is not perfect, and those imperfections make it beautiful.” 

Japanese company LEGS has announced the opening of two limited-time cafes themed on the video game KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory which will run from December 11, 2020 to January 31, 2021.   KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory is a rhythm action game developed by Square Enix. Released on November 11 in Japan and November 13 everyone else, it is the latest instalment to Square Enix and Disney's video game series Kingdom Hearts.   The cafe menu features a line-up of dishes, drinks, and desserts inspired by characters and worlds found throughout the internationally-beloved video game series. The items all adhere to Disney's nutrient guidelines and so are low in salt and sugar, offering fans a healthier option. The cafe will also sell a range of original merchandise.  

The Menu

Food (Excerpt)

<Sora> Power of Waking Tomato Pasta | ¥1,599

A red tomato pasta inspired by Sora that comes with a potato salad shaped like King Mickey.

<Riku> Daybreak Chicken Burger | ¥1,599

A black chicken burger based on Riku becoming enveloped by the Power of Darkness. This dish also comes with a potato salad shaped like King Mickey.

<King Mickey> King's Tuna Sandwich | ¥1,399, with plate +¥2,000

A tuna sandwich branded with a King Mickey symbol that comes with a side of fruit.

<Neverland> Island Seafood Curry | ¥1,699

A squid and shrimp seafood curry inspired by Peter Pan's Neverland which you can travel to in Kingdom Hearts.  

Drinks (Excerpt)

<Sora, Riku & Kairi> Fate's Pineapple Herb Soda | ¥899, with acrylic coaster +¥1,000

A pineapple herb soda based on the Paopu Fruit from the series.

<Roxas, Xion, Axel> Sea Salt Ice Cream & Milk | ¥1,199, with acrylic coaster +¥1,000

Based on the sea salt ice cream that Roxas, Xion, and Axel all eat together. It's served with hot milk that can be poured over the ice cream for a tasty treat.

<Hundred Acre Wood> Honey Latte | ¥799, with mug +¥1,650

A latte sweetened with Winnie the Pooh's favourite thing in the world: honey.  

Merchandise (Excerpt)

Folder ¥500 / Acrylic Magnet ¥700

Tote Bags (3 Designs) | ¥3,500 Each (Timeless River/Keyblade A/Keyblade B)

 

Bonus Items

Customers who book a table in advance (¥650 before tax) and order from the menu will receive one of two folders, and if they order a drink, one of four coasters. Available while supplies last. © Disney. © Disney/Pixar.*All prices listed are pre-tax

Ringo Sheena's greatest hits album Newton no Ringo ~Hajimete no Best Ban~ is currently reigning high on the sales charts. Ringo Sheena will release a brand new Tokyo version of the song Roman to Soroban, which she created with Hikaru Utada, on November 25.

Still image from the Roman to Soroban Official Music Video.

In an interview with Ringo Sheena about the release of her album Sandokushi, she referred to Hikaru Utada as the sun and herself as the shade. Roman to Soroban is the second song the two friends worked on together since Utada's release of Nijikan Dake no Vacance in which Ringo Sheena was the featuring artist. Roman to Soroban LDN ver., which goes by the English name The sun&moon in london, is the opening song of Newton no Ringo. The song features the instrumentals of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.    Following up on the release of the London version of Roman to Soroban, Sheena and Utada have set out to release a Tokyo version which will go by the official name Roman to Soroban TYO ver in Japanese and The sun&moon in tokyo in English.   The recording of the brand new Tokyo version will be brought to life with the cooperation of her long-time tour members Keisuke Torigoe (bass), Midorin (drums), Yukio Nagoshi (guitar), and H Zett M (keys), recreating the song in a whole new genre which rings "Tokyo sound".