Urusei Yatsura is one of the most beloved anime series of all time. The show’s theme song Lum’s Love Song is still a fan-favorite 40 years after its release in 1981. To celebrate the anniversary of the track, the original composer Izumi Kobayashi has released a self-cover only available on streaming services. A worldwide remix project based on the song is also underway and will continue into the new year. 

On November 17, Izumi Kobayashi released Lum’s Love Song (Reboot) along with Limited Toss, a trackmaker she met in London. The B-side of the single is another self-cover of Bambutsuruten, the theme to Tokyo Gambo. 

Izumi Kobayashi wrote a number of anime songs in addition to Lum’s Love Song, such as tracks for Sasuga no Sarutobi and Stop!! Hibari-kun! After working as an artist, session musician, and playwright in the 1980s, she moved to the UK and worked alongside Depeche Mode and SWING OUT SISTER, while also supporting the overseas activities of Ken Ishii, Denki Groove, and DJ KRUSH.

In addition to this self-cover project, Lum’s Love Song is now being remixed by a number of talented artists from around the world. The first EP of the remix project, ‘Lum’s Love Song (Reboot) Mimix EP.1’ was released digitally on December 8. It features remixes by Kenmochi Hidefumi of Wednesday Campanella, Chinese trackmaker 3asic, and Osaka-based Limited Toss. 

Upcoming Lum’s Love Song remixes will be provided by Korean music producer T.WON and SKYTOPIA, along with tofubeats. ‘Lum’s Love Song (Reboot) Mimix EP.2’ will be released on January 12, 2022.

Rumiko Takahashi, the original creator of Urusei Yatsura, was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in October 2021, one of the most prestigious U.S. comic awards. 

Comment from Izumi Kobayashi

“It’s been a long time since I’ve released a new album!

Everyone involved in this project is so excited, and we know that something amazing is going to come from it. As it’s the 40th anniversary of Lum’s Love Song, I created a new cel cover for it. I’m just thrilled!

Thank you to everyone who listens!”

小林泉美

tofubeats appeared on the first episode of Red Bull Check Your DMs, a reality show by Red Bull which connects artists around the world together online for the first time and has them make a song together remotely. He collaborated with UK music producer DJ Q and Netherlands singer Gaidaa to create an original track named All In.

Red Bull Check Your DMs – Episode 1

This was the first time the three artists had met each other, all of whom have different nationalities as well as work on different styles of music, from hip-hop and electronic to singer, rapper, and track maker. Just how did these three individuals create a new song from scratch? All they need is talent, inspiration, and an internet environment for this unique project which coincides with today’s digital age.

The show welcomes a whole host of artists, from this episode’s tofubeats, music producer DJ Q, and singer Gaidaa to bassline DJ Flava D, rappers Ms Banks and Burna, Canadian electronic music producer Ryan Hemsworth, South Korean singer CIFIKA, Diamond Vargas from Australia, Girl Ultra from Mexico, Phil Speiser and Palazzo Beats from Austria, Wow Jones from the USA, Yartze from Puerto Rico, and more.

Red Bull Check Your DMs is available to watch for free on YouTube and the Red Bull TV app. A new episode will air every Friday.

“YYY”—the live concert and party event hosted by Japanese music and pop culture leaders WARNER MUSIC JAPAN and ASOBISYSTEM—is getting its first late night installment on August 25th.

YYY is spearheaded by 4 of Japan’s cutting-edge music veterans: Nakata Yasutaka, kz, tofubeats, and banvox, all of whom have gained immense attention around the globe. In many ways, it can be said that hosting YYY late into the night has been something long yearned for by fans.

It has also been announced that MATZ will be joining the line-up, a well-established music artist active in Hokkaido who has gained much attention from DJs all around Japan for his original tracks that he posts to SoundCloud.

YYY is always hosted at Studio Coast in Shinkiba. The venue is known for its multitude of different stages and areas. The popular “Ray-Van” party is set to be held in the WATER area which will no doubt be hugely well-received for summertime. With artists including Shogo Soezima (T.U.S), TJO, Fumihiko Chiba and YASUKI leading the pack, each floor will be filled with DJs ready to dazzle and exite.

You can expect to see the popular traditional Japanese music-only club party Japangu♪, which started back in 2003 in Shinjuku Ni-Chome, in the BOX area, while the ISLAND area will be hosted by numbersixxx, a regular artist at the popular party xxx.

Studio Coast was absolutely packed and spilling with fans partying late into the night for last year’s “YYY.” The next installment is about to hit, so why not get yourself a ticket and experience the madness yourself?

Related Article：Yasutaka Nakata to Provide Official Worldwide Anthem for Ultra Music Festival—and Perform at Ultra Japan

Related Article：Second Wave of Artists Announced for Yasutaka Nakata Produced Festival “OTONOKO”

The second wave of artists for the big music festival “OTONOKO,” which was help in Kanazawa last year to huge success, have finally been announced. The new artists added to the line-up include Taiiku Okazaki, DAISHI DANCE, tofubeats, and banvox.

The festival is hosted by none other than Yasutaka Nakata, whose influential career spans wide across the Japanese music industry. Nakata is well-known as being the producer for the huge J-pop artists Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. As well as that, he has created music for international ceremonies, as well as for a huge variety of movies both inside and outside Japan including for Hollywood. A representative musician, producer and DJ for Japan, he is well respected and recognised by artists all around the world.

Last year’s “OTONOKO” prospered greatly. The next festival will be held this year on December 2nd at Ishikawa Sangyo Tenji in Hall 4.

Tickets are now available at various playguides in Japan. It has also been announced that there will be a round-trip bus tour directly to the venue where the festival is being held. There are two plans in place: the first will give you the opportunity to be taken back to where you came from to reach the venue, while the second includes an overnight stay so that you can enjoy your time in Kanazawa. There will also be original OTONOKO merchandise for bus tour takers only. For more details, be sure to check the homepage. Reservations for the bus tour will take place over on the event’s official website on July 31st from 16:00.

Nakata hopes to deliver his sound (“OTO”) to the world from his hometown of Kanagawa with OTONOKO, a new kind of festival the likes you have never seen.

For the latest information and details regarding OTONOKO, please visit the event’s official homepage.

Related Article：CAPSULE Announced to Perform at the Yasutaka Nakata-Produced Music Festival “OTONOKO”!

Related Article：Introducing the latest clips and videos from internationally acclaimed Japanese artists—from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu to Perfume & more!

Dimitri From Paris, the veteran at the forefront of the French house and disco scene will be performing on July 7^th for his Japanese concert “Mercy feat Dimitri From Paris.

Dimitri From Paris has performed internationally as a DJ for more than 30 years since the dawn of soul and disco and house music. His innovative style as a DJ and music producer has enabled him to work as a DJ to create music for fashion shows, receiving support from haute couture brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier. Dimitri has also worked together with over 100 artists as a producer and remixer, such as Bjork, Quincy Jones, Brand New Heavies, New Order, The Cardigans, James Brown, Masters At Work, and Frankie Knuckles.

Japanese record producer and DJ tofubeats, who has releases numerous hit tracks, will be joining Dimitri From Paris for his Japanese show. tofubeats has been a prominent figure on the internet since his teens, remixing music from countless artists from a wide range of genres, including SMAP, YUKI, Momoiro Clover, Ken Hirai, RIP SLYME, Quruli, Clammbon, and more. He has also performed as a DJ at many locations, beginning with his first performance at WIRE in his teen years, and continues to appear at DJ events all around Japan.

DJ DARUMA will also be bringing his apparel brand FULL-BK to the concert.

This is a night with two amazing artists that you cannot afford to miss. Be sure to pick up some tickets!

Related article: Awesome line-up announced for “THE BLOCK PARTY Vol. 2” – the club party that’s officially hosted by TEMPURA KIDZ!

Related article: 2nd wave of artists announced for Kansai’s biggest summer festival “MUSIC CIRCUS ‘17” including DANNIC, QUINTIO, and Yasutaka Nakata!

The Kaga Music Festival celebrates its 6^th run this year. It will be held on Saturday July 22^nd. Just like last year, a large ryokan (a type of traditional Japanese inn) will be rented out for this big music festival.

A third wave of artists have just been announced to be added to the line-up. From idols to DJs, the Kaga Music Festival boasts a string of various artists.

【Line-up】(3^rd wave)

Asachiru / VENUS・KAWAMURA YUKI / Katsu Marely & The SOUL KITCHEN / KINDAN NO TASUKETSU / Jay Zimmerman / J.A.G.U.A.R / Taichi Master / DJ Kaga Onsen / DJ CARP / dj sleeper / Tonya Harding / tofubeats / Haruhi Nakajima / Nachi / Namakopuri / Maki Nomiya / Band Ja Naimon! / P.O.P / Lovely Summer-Chan

(19 artists in total for this announcement. Be sure to check out the 1^st and 2^nd wave too.)

This year, the venue will have an upstairs cafeteria on the 2F, a Rurikoh cafeteria on 1F that sells various noodles, an outdoor beer garden and more. A map of the area has been published so be sure to check out the various food and drinks places available throughout the venue.

Enjoy the dream experience of sitting in a relaxing hot spring while listening to some great live music at Kaga Music Festival 2017!

■Information

Kaga Music Festival 2017

Hosted by the KAGA MUSIC FESTIVAL Executive Committee

Date/Time: Saturday July 22nd, 2017 – OPEN/START 14:00 / FINISH 22:00

Location: Yamashiro Spa “Rurikoh” (19-58-1 Yamashiro Spa, Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture)

Homepage: http://kaga-fes.com/

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Related article：Next wave of artists announced for “Kaga Music Festival 2017″ – the music festival that combines hot springs and live music♨

Related article：Tofubeats to release 3rd album “FANTASY CLUB” on 24th May! New single “WHAT YOU GOT” released in advance!

Tofubeats is a music producer/DJ from Kobe, who launched into fame after focussing on his music career on the internet during his teens. Since releasing his major debut “Don’t Stop The Music” in 2013 with the help of guest vocalist Chisato Moritaka, he released his “First Album” in 2014 featuring guest vocalists such as BONNIE PINK and PES. Afterwards, he followed up with the major debut of his second album “POSITIVE” in 2015, which featured Dream, Ami and KREVA.

After one and a half years, the time has finally come – tofubeats will release their 3^rd major album “FANTASY CLUB” on 24^th May. As well as the original voice of tofubeats holding the spotlight on the tracks, fans also have the new song “THIS CITY” to look forward to. “THIS CITY” is the theme song for the “U30 CITY KOBE” campaign. The vocals of a total of 13 sensational guest singers also feature on the new major album. The vocals of YOUNG JUJU; the core member of hip-hop crew KANDYTOWN features in “LONELY NIGHTS”, and female singer/songwriter Sugar me features in “YUUKI”.

tofubeats「WHAT YOU GOT」

On Friday 28^th April, the song “WHAT YOU GOT”, which is sung by tofubeats, was released in advance. Kaho Nakamura features in the chorus along with KASHIF’s guitar in the second half of the song. Please watch the above video to get a sneak peak into the wonderfully mysterious world of tofubeats.

To commemorate the new release of the 3^rd album “FANTASY CLUB” , there will be an in store event on Sunday 28^th May starting at 18.00 and finishing at 18.30. Tofubeats will also feature as the monthly artist in InterFM897’s “Tokyo scene”, gaining heaps of exposure to promote the release of the new album.

■Information

tofubeats「FANTSY CLUB」

Release date: 24^th May 2017

Price: ￥2,800（+tax）First run press edition with special booklet

Product number: WPCL-12632

Tofubeats digital broadcasting link: https://WarnerMusicJapan.lnk.to/8KXZi

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Related article：Yasutaka Nakata, kz, tofubeats and banvox to present YYY vol.2 on 28th Jan ー the ultimate party featuring TeddyLoid. The schedule has now been released!

Related article：Official music playlist released for the next instalment of the party extravaganza “YYY” led by Nakata Yasutaka, kz, tofubeats, and banvox

Traditional Japanese cuisine—washoku—has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2013. For both foreign residents and tourists, it is one of the highlights of Japan.

Seasonality plays a pivotal role in the choice of ingredients and even the tableware in washoku. Rice, a staple part of Japanese cuisine, is naturally also included in every washoku meal. Japanese rice is praised for its soft, springy texture and expert preparation, and as a low-fat carbohydrate providing energy throughout the day, many consider it the secret to Japanese longevity.

Washoku meals often come in the form of a set meal, usually described by the phrase, ichiju sansai—one soup and three sides. Notably, the word rice isn’t even included in that phrase, implying that it is such a staple of the meal, it doesn’t even need to be mentioned. Although set meals can be eaten throughout the day, often overlooked by visitors is the humble traditional Japanese breakfast: wachoshoku (“Japanese morning meal”).

Compared to Western breakfasts, traditional Japanese breakfasts emphasize freshness, health and balance, but not at the sacrifice of any quality.  They are filling but not heavy, and foreigners who try traditional Japanese breakfasts often report feeling satisfied and energized throughout the day. Metropolis writers have crisscrossed Honshu sampling some of the best wachoshoku on offer.

Halfway between winter and spring equinox, the plum flowers will start to blossom across Japan. The 88th day of spring marks the first day of tea leaf picking for a new season, and the leaves of this harvest fetch high prices. 210 and 220 days from the beginning of spring are pegged as days that typhoons will most likely come, causing much dismay to farmers. While it may sound like a parody, since ancient times, Japan has taken seasonal cues from the natural calendar. This is particularly evident in cuisine, meaning that if you’re in Japan during the spring months, you can look forward to a special selection of things to eat and drink.

Sansai 

sansai are often used as ingredients in shojin ryori(buddist vegetarian cuisine).

These are the wild mountain vegetables that poke their welcome heads out as soon as the snowy blankets and chill of winter start to give. Sansai are usually bitter and provide timely astringence to break down fat and toxins stockpiled through colder months. The most common types include takenoko (bamboo sprouts), taranome (Japanese angelica-tree roots), fuki (butterbur) and nanohana (rapeseed)
.

Whether it’s instant ramen, selfie sticks or Walkmans, Japan provides innovative, aesthetically-pleasing solutions to everyday problems. But how do you stylishly transport groceries from the market to home, bottles of booze to a barbecue, clothes to the sento, or bento boxes to a picnic? Use a furoshiki.

Furoshiki are rectangular pieces of decorative fabric made from silk, cotton or synthetic fibers that have been used for wrapping goods in Japan for at least 1200 years, since the Nara Period. Until the onset of paper and plastic bags in the 1960s, they were an indispensable part of daily Japanese life. Furoshiki can be distinguished from their fraternal twin the tenugui—another colorfully-dyed and-patterned Japanese cloth—by the difference in use. While both may be used for wrapping, tenugui have typically been used for other instances, such as mopping sweaty brows, as washcloths, and as decorations.

There are around 10 different sizes of furoshiki, each with different applications and a myriad of wrapping techniques. When it comes to wrapping common foods, 45 to 50 cm is recommended. Other uses fare better with larger sizes. For bento boxes, 68 to 70 cm is best, and 90 cm for wrapping a bottle of booze (larger perhaps if you are kind enough to be gifting a magnum of wine or an isshobin of sake).

Get ready for the new “LIVE&PARTY YYY” hosted by WARNER MUSIC JAPAN and ASOBISYSTEM, aiming to spread music and pop culture. The timetable for the vol.2 party that will be kicking off on 28^th January has been announced. With Yasutaka Nakata, kz, tofubeats and banvox charging up the party as the four main DJs/artists, they will be joined by more music sensations including TeddyLoid as a featuring DJ.

Programme (in order)

Doors open：15.00

Start time：15.45（※Please note that the schedule has been changed）

Approximate finish time: 20.00

Order of performance

①banvox

②TeddyLoid

③tofubeats

④kz（livetune+）

⑤ Yasutaka Nakata

※Please note that the order of the performers is subject to change without prior notice.

※You will not receive a full refund for your ticket for this reason.

YYY vol.2 goods include collaboration goods from second hand fashion store Santo Nibu No Ichi (San’nibu). San’nibu is famous for its large-sized hoodies and thanks to this collaboration, Yasutaka Nakata became the editorial supervisor in the making of originally designed hoodies for this event. There are a limited number of these collaboration hoodies selling.

You can win YYY goods, drink tickets, posters signed by all the performers and other amazing presents in the lottery, or get your hands on a badge from a capsule machine! Test your luck this new year ー there’s plenty up for grabs!

■Information

YYY Vol.2

Date：Saturday 28^th January 2017 Opening time: 15:00/ Start time:15:45

Venue：Shinkiba STUDIO COAST

Performers：Yasutaka Nakata / kz（livetune+）/ tofubeats / banvox

featuring DJ : TeddyLoid

Supported by：Spotify

YYY official website：http://yyy-official.com

■ Related article：Yasutaka Nakata teams up with London artist Charli XCX and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu for new single to be spread throughout 110 countries & regions.

■ Related article：Official music playlist released for the next instalment of the party extravaganza “YYY” led by Nakata Yasutaka, kz, tofubeats, and banvox

“YYY” is a live event for music fans of all generations spearheaded by Nakata Yasutaka, kz, tofubeats and banvox. In the run up to the next instalment of the party night, dubbed “Vol.2”, live footage of Vol.1 featuring one song from each of the artists has been made available for viewing. As well as that, the official YYY playlist for Vol.2 has been put on the online music streaming service “Spotify”.

YYY is handled by WARNER MUSIC JAPAN and ASOBISYSTEM who are leaders of Japanese music and pop culture. Vol.2 of YYY will continue the crazy partying where Vol.1 left off and will be held on Saturday January 28th, 2017 at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST. Be sure to check out the madness of Vol.1 from the link below. This is the first time official footage of YYY has been uploaded.

YYY Vol.1 Live Footage

Make sure you’re ready for YYY Vol.2 with the official Spotify playlist below!

YYY Vol.2 By yyy_official
https://open.spotify.com/user/yyy_official/playlist/2eomeo6Y8HeLvVlcleJbmj

“YYY Vol.2” boasts an unprecedented line-up of Japanese dance music. There’s less than a month to go before the big event, it’s going to be huge.

■Information
YYY Vol.2
Date: Saturday  January 28th, 2017　15:00 OPEN/START
Location: Shinkiba STUDIO COAST
Line-up: Yasutaka Nakata / kz (livetune+) / tofubeats / banvox
Ticket Prices (tax-inclusive)
・General Ticket: ¥3,800-
・General Group Ticket C: ¥7,000 ※2 tickets
・General Group Ticket D: ¥13,000 ※4 tickets
Playguides
・ePlus（http://eplus.jp/sys/T1U14P0010163P0108P002176553P0050001P006001P0030003）
・Lawson Ticket（L-Code: 71027 http://l-tike.com/order/?gLcode=71027）
・Ticket Pia（P-Code: 313-536 http://t.pia.jp/pia/event/event.do?eventCd=1649116）
＊You must pay a ￥500 drink fee for 1 beverage upon entering the venue.
＊Children under the age of 6 are not permitted entry into the venue, whether or not accompanied by a parent or guardian.
YYY Official Website: yyy-official.com

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■Related Article: Yasutaka Nakata teams up with London artist Charli XCX and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu for new single to be spread throughout 110 countries & regions.

■Related Article: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu×Nakata Yasutaka unveil the CD cover art for their new single together!