In 2016, SCANDAL toasted to ten years since their formation, and this autumn, they will celebrate their 10th anniversary since their major debut. The band released their eighth album HONEY this month which peaked at number one on Japan's iTunes album charts on the day of release and ranked number one in iTunes J-pop charts across the globe including Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Peru. Last year, 3 of the band members - Haruna (Vocals/Guitar), Mami (Guitar/Vocals) and Tomomi (Bass/Vocals) - became the first Japanese female artists to sign an endorsement agreement with Fender. It is evident for all to see that SCANDAL are building and fortifying their career as an all-girls band representing Japan in both name and reality. In this interview, the four members looked back at their overseas activity and told various stories from their perspective as an all-female band.

Interview & Text: Mami Naruta / Translation: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

■"I think people overseas felt that we were performing anime characters"

――In the "HISTORY" column of your 10-year anniversary website, you have a timeline for your music activities for both Japan and the rest of the world lined up side-by-side. I felt that this was a reminder of how your band are enthusiastic about activities overseas. Your first overseas action was an American tour across six cities before your major debut in 2008. That's amazing.

Rina (Drums/Vocals): Yes, our first tour was in America, wasn't it? We did all of that despite being an independent band who hadn't even toured Japan yet. Back then we went forward with finishing everything we did to the end like crazy every time, but we had a strong connection overseas at the time, so from that year onward we went there every year without fail. At first, we felt like we were just children without a cause, but we gradually became something that couldn't be ignored. Bands would cover our songs overseas, and the number of people who came to like us after watching us on YouTube went beyond our imaginations. Our fundamental stance is to go and perform in places where there are people demanding for us, so we focus on performing live without creating borders around the world.

――I see. Looking in detail, your first few years saw you perform at a lot of Japanese culture festivals such as "Japan Expo" and "AM2." That was a time when you performed in uniform-style costumes, wasn't it?

Mami (Guitar/Vocals): It was.  The "Age of Uniforms" (laughs). That was a time when we did theme songs for anime, so the uniforms were part of it. We were also called to perform at a lot of festivals that promoted Japanese culture too.

Tomomi (Bass/Vocals): In our early days, we even had an animation kind of thing of us all on our official MySpace page. And we received a lot of attention from people overseas, so it felt like "animation" was spreading across the world as part of Japanese culture.

――From your experience having stepped onto the international stage, have you felt a desire for Japanese culture overseas, and by extension a culture for Japanese girl bands?

Haruna (Vocals/Guitar): We were also unaware of it at the time. We were simply happy with the demand and could feel the joy of being able to perform live in lots of places, so that's why we went. It might have only been recently that we became conscious of looking to overseas seriously as a girl band.

Rina: I think that awareness strengthened when we came to perform solo shows. And our overseas fans also changed with it. At culture festivals, there were many people there simply out of curiosity who weren't our target goal, and there were a lot of people who were also interested and felt Japanese culture in the seifuku costumes. I think from the point of view of people overseas, it felt like we were like anime characters performing.

――In 2015, you held a huge world tour where you performed 41 shows across Japan, France, the UK, Germany, America, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Rina: There were more people who had watched our music videos on YouTube than those who knew us from anime on this tour. I felt that people came along to support us as a band. The atmosphere was totally different in the venues too compared to our early days.

Mami: I believe there's something historical about being in a position where people know your existence from social media and video-sharing websites. When we began our career, social media still wasn't being used all that much in Japan, and YouTube as it's used today wasn't a thing. I feel the change in times with regard to our connection overseas.

■"Our world tour made me feel that 'SCANDAL' had come to be seen as a band in and of itself"

――Having toured 9 countries, please tell me about any impressions that have been left on you, on or off stage.

Rina: We've had the opportunity to do a lot of interviews, but I've noticed that the content of the interviews have changed from place to place. Before, we'd get asked a lot of questions related to anime like "What do you think of anime?" and "What kind of anime theme song do you want to do next?" But now the questions are focused on the band itself. It made me feel that "SCANDAL" had come to be seen as a band in and of itself, without anime.

Mami: Mexico and South America in particular are places where the way in which Japanese bands are viewed on YouTube are different from other countries. In other countries, anime and manga take priority. How people find us derives from there most of the time. But in South America, "Japanese bands" are an established cultural genre. They search for Japanese bands from the get-go, they find their favourite and share it with friends. That's how we're introduced over there. I was really happy that they viewed us in that way.

Rina: Something I remember from on-stage... The way people enjoy live performances. I saw how each country really does have its own unique culture. In Japan I don't think we have that style of support where we hold up our country's flag, but there are places where people have fun by waving their own country's flag and drink and dance.

Tomomi: For example, football is really popular in Mexico. When we turn the lights off in the venue, people chant "Olé, Olé, Olé" like a sports match.

Rina: Right? When we toured Europe, there was someone on stage [to introduce us and] get the crowd excited. They'd say something like "Here's SCANDAL!" and the sound effects would begin playing (laughs). I noticed how the beginning of shows was different in each country and location.

Haruna: In Asia, there were a lot of times where everybody sang together. It happens a lot in Japan too where people sing the chorus together, but elsewhere they sing the entire song from start to finish, don't they?

Rina: So much so that everyone's voices become even louder than Haruna's mic volume (laughs).

Mami: Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore were just like that, weren't they? Usually people listen and are just there in whatever way they like. Their love really got through.

Tomomi: Something I find different from Japan are people's interests. There's a real diversity in the people that attend, from older people who look like fans of that venue to the edgy punk type. I'm super interested in how they came to know SCANDAL. Well, I know social media is big, so if it was 10 years ago, I think the people who we couldn't meet will come to our world tours now.

Rina: It's precisely because we can look up and find our favourite things that our interests are so broad.

■"It doesn't matter how we're perceived, what's most important is that people can enjoy us"

――Have your perceptions changed in relation to performing?

Rina: Strictly speaking, we've made a lot of changes to our sound and equipment, but our songs are all sung in Japanese, and I feel that wherever we go to perform I want to do everything the same without any changes. What does change is how we communicate with fans on-stage. We're working hard to be able to speak in a country's language as much as possible.

Mami: People really get in the music easily, so if they're excited, they'll join us. I feel people come to the shows and have fun, so there are no worries there.

――This is a simple question, but do overseas music fans know the difference between idol groups and girl bands? Regardless of the use of instruments or not, do you think that there are people who perceive Japanese girl groups as "idols"?

Mami: I think their understanding of the word "idol" is different from that in Japan. In Japan, it's a single genre, but overseas, it's someone who has an influence on you or someone you love. It's someone you yearn for and someone whose existence is like that of a star. I think that grasp of the word is much stronger, so there might not be a lot of people who do make that distinction.

Rina: Don't get me wrong, but I think either is fine. We don't go out of our way to say "but we're not idols." Being seen this way means not giving special instructions and just have people come to like and enjoy our music. Because I think idols and bands are both cool. I find idols to truly be multi-players. They can sing, dance, act and have variety, and are really outgoing in a human way. Even in a band set-up, an idol's nature can become their weapon of choice - their charm. I want us to be a group that can be enjoyed as humans, so even if there are people who see us as idols, I can say in all honestly that it doesn't make us feel uncomfortable in terms of motivation. If people can enjoy us and say "They're an interesting bunch," then that makes me the happiest.

＜Continued in Part Two＞

In 2016, SCANDAL toasted to ten years since their formation, and this autumn, they will celebrate their 10th anniversary since their major debut. The band released their eighth album HONEY this month which peaked at number one on Japan’s iTunes album charts on the day of release and ranked number one in the iTunes J-pop charts across the globe including Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Peru. Last year, 3 of the band members – Haruna (Vocals/Guitar), Mami (Guitar/Vocals) and Tomomi (Bass/Vocals) – became the first Japanese female artists to sign an endorsement agreement with Fender. It is evident for all to see that SCANDAL are building and fortifying their career as an all-girls band representing Japan in both name and reality. This is part two of the interview, in which the four members look back at their overseas activity and told various stories from their perspective as an all-female band.

＜Click Here for Part One＞

Interview & Text: Mami Naruta / Translation: Joshua Kitosi-Isanga

---

■“We want to be cool so our listeners throughout the world can be proud”

――When SCANDAL head out across the globe, “Japan’s representative girl band” really is an is appropriate catchphrase in reality and in name.

Rina (Drums / Vocals): We’re not quite there yet. But that makes me happy.

Mami (Guitar / Vocals): But if we’re asked whether we’re placing focus on our overseas activities, that’s not the case. It’s just the way things pan out. We go with it without intending to separate Japan and everywhere else. It isn’t the case that from the beginning we were conscious of wanting to become Japan’s representative girl band or become popular overseas, so to have that said to us now makes me really happy.

Rina: I have an increased awareness for us to be cool so that people think to themselves things like “I’m glad I supported them” and “I, who support SCANDAL, love who I am” for the very fact that we have listeners all around the world. I’ve taken in the fact that lots of different people listen to us, so I’ve truly come to think that I don’t want to let the fans down. I want to live cool, so much so that listening to SCANDAL’s music becomes people's confidence.

Haruna (Vocals / Guitar): Yeah. We’ve done this for twelve years, so I want to have confidence in that.

Rina: I feel that our fans’ minds are the same regardless of what country they’re from. I haven’t asked each of them individually, but when I look at things like the atmosphere in a venue, although people’s ages, gender, race and religion are different, I really feel that everyone holds the same mindset. I think that’s where the world ties together.

Haruna: Overseas fans come to our tours in Japan, and vice versa Japanese fans come when we play overseas. I’m happy that there’s an interaction.

Tomomi (Bass / Vocals): There’s an unofficial international fan club called “SCANDAL HEAVEN.” Groups of people on there from each country get together and post photos of themselves eating together on social media.

――Fans that have transcended national borders and connected through your music have left a happy impression on you, haven’t they? Also, I think within the female band scene, you have your own unique values.

Rina: I think girl bands are accepted as one part of Japanese culture. There are very few girl bands overseas. It seems difficult for them to last a long time. I hear stories of bands disbanding soon after their debut. That’s why, in contrast with us who’ve been together for 12 years, there’s a lot of people interested in what a long-lasting girl band is like. There are people who feel culture and appeal in our existence, so I’ve felt we’ve moved forward.

――It’s true when you mention overseas girl bands. Nothing springs to mind immediately...

Rina: If we’re talking recently then HiNDS are really cool, and they have a unique feel that I find great. If the number of girl bands increases from country to country, the music scene will become more exciting. I’d like to support them.

■“Japanese girls are skilled at creating their own personal ‘cute’”

――By the way, what do each of you find to be the charm point of Japanese girls?

Rina: They’re allowed to mix together the things they like. They’re skilled at creating their own personal “cute.” Even ordinary school girls. They create a world that they love on their Instagram pages, don’t they? This is found in Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s style too, but for example, adding a little spice to something that isn’t just cute. Their ability to self-produce is strong.

Haruna: Everybody knows what suits them. Whether it’s make-up or different fashion styles, they skilfully incorporate what looks good on them and create something original. I think that’s wonderful.

Rina: In our recent album HONEY too, I think we’ve been able to create songs that mix together sweet and bitter. The album is centred around songs we wrote in 2017. This time we reconsidered “Japanese rock” while keeping them sung in Japanese, so when people overseas have listened to it, I think they’ll see it’s a record that conveys today’s Japanese girl rock. In that sense, I think we’ve created an album that compiles 10 years of a SCANDAL that has taken influence from many things, sweet and bitter.

――In 2017 you released your 10-year anniversary greatest hits album, toured Japan’s 47 prefectures and went on your first taiban* tour. It was a substantial year for you.

Rina: Last year we put on tough, masculine-like performances, which made us wonder what kind of songs a girl band should perform. It was a period where we re-evaluated things like our position and status. We had strong thoughts that “We’re girls, so we really should be doing the kind of rock that girls can do, otherwise it’s not interesting,” especially during our taiban tour.

[*Translator’s Note: A taiban is a concert where several bands perform.]

――The bands that joined you at the taiban were UNISON SQUARE GARDEN, 04 Limited Sazabys and BLUE ENCOUNT, right?

Rina: We toured with 3 big bands at that festival, so it was something I mulled over. So I think we’ve been able to create an album that shakes off those thoughts in a girly way.

――Your album cover was produced by AMIAYA, twins who are active in Tokyo as fashion icons. How did that collaboration come about?

Tomomi: We’ve actually been close with AMIAYA ever since we were introduced to them by Mizuki (Masuda) of [music group] Negoto. We knew that the album contained a lot of personal things. It’s filled with events that have happened in our daily lives, our favourite words, smells, colours and things like that. It came about because we thought since the album is so personal, it would be good if we made it together with a close friend. We were also crazy about how perfect the album colour and AMIAYA’s character went together.

――All things considered, I think that how you’re all able to write your songs together is really your strong point as a band.

Rina: Hehehe (laughs). The four of us are individuals so songs are born left, right and centre, but when performing as a band, they become SCANDAL’s songs. It’s strange, isn’t it? Even though we do it together we never grow tired, and even now my heart is always racing. I think right now is the most fun time ever.

■SCANDAL recommend their favourite spots around Tokyo

――You’ve just released your new album. What mode is SCANDAL in right now?

Rina: We’ve once again been able to create something that shakes free the kind of rock that seems good, in 2018, the 10^th anniversary of our major debut, so the sense of accomplishment having completed HONEY is amazing (laughs). We’re taking this album on a hall tour, our first in three years, so I hope to put on the best performance we can now.

Haruna: We also have an Asia tour after our tour in Japan! We didn’t have an overseas tour last year, so this time we’re going to the Philippines and China for the first time. I’m really excited. We’ve received messages on Twitter for years of people saying “Please come to the Philippines,” so we’re finally going. I think they’ll be fully charged for us (laughs).

Rina: Asia have welcomed us with a “Come back!” so we’re always at ease there! Fans bring along their friends to the airport. I get the feeling the number of new people increases every time.

Mami: Yeah. There might even be places where the audience has completely changed. I’m interested to see how people will listen to this album.

――To wrap up, can each of you recommend some spots in Tokyo?

Tomomi: When my friend visits from my home town, we’ve boarded the Yakatabune at Sumida River several times. You can eat traditional Japanese food like tempura, and you can see places like Odaiba and Skytree in one go while you go down the river. It was so much fun. I recommend that course!

Mami: If you’re coming for a good time during spring’s cherry blossom season, then how about Shinjuku Gyoen or Meguro River? Since I don’t think you can easily see cherry trees lined up like that overseas. It’s not something flashy or gaudy, and this is a simple way to look at things, but you can kind of feel Japan with just one glance of them. It might be fun to visit and have fun enjoying the four seasons.

Haruna: As for me, I’ve been filling up by goshuincho*. For foreigners, it’s kind of like a stamp rally? Well, it’s not as simple as that, but I think if you’ve made the effort to come to Japan it could be fun to spend your time doing it. I started by purchasing a goshuincho at Sensō-ji. If you go to Sensō-ji, you also have Nakamise-dori just before you reach the temple which is a lot of fun. You can enjoy the so-called essence of Japan.

[*Translator’s Note: A goshuincho is a book used for collecting goshuin, which are stamps or seals you can receive when you visit temples and shrines in Japan. Each place has their own unique stamp.]

Rina: For me... Tower Records in Shibuya. CD shops are dying overseas. I think Japan has the most CD shops in the world, but out of them all I think that’s the biggest. They have everything there. I see photos people have taken that have come from overseas of the Tower Records building, and I think to myself “so that’s how they view it.”

――Even when you actually look at things like the stock and floorspace, it’s the world’s biggest CD retail store.

Rina: It’s true. It’s a valuable place. There’s a documentary movie called “ALL THINGS MUST PASS” that covers the history of Tower Records. After I watched it I went to Tower Records in Shibuya and was really moved! I don’t know what the future has in store for record shops, so I hope people enjoy it while it’s there. It’s the coolest CD shop.

Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen must still be fresh in your memory, but the next big hit videos from Japan having been rolling their way out.

Today, we’re taking a look at a selection of popular videos from Japan – ones that are gaining attention worldwide, as well as ones that are the talk of the town in Japan itself!

Tokyo Bon Odori 2020

This catchy pop song features Malaysian Chinese hip-hop artist Namewee who plays the role of a foreigner in Japan that can’t speak Japanese. A high school girl helps him out by giving him a tour around Japan while speaking ‘Japanglish,’ the Japanese katakana pronunciations of English words, and teaching him about traditional Japanese culture. The video anticipates the run up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, takeing on the mood of a Japanese festival by incorporating the traditional ‘Bon Odori’ which involves people lining up together in a circle to share happiness through dance. It displays the Japanese spirit of peace and harmony in a humourous fashion. Collectively, the video has garnered one hundred million views across social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/88010

Heisei KIZOKU

Heisei KIZOKU is a series of videos that are gathering much attention right now for their unique style, showcasing the culture of Kyoto through dance. All the videos in the series have been collectively viewed over 1 million times and their popularity is growing, having even been picked up by various media outlets.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/87766

Chicken Attack

This hilarious song is performed by famous Japanese yodeler Takeo Ischi, who also appears in the video. He holds a chicken in his arms transforms into a ninja to take out bad guys. You won’t be able to get his beautiful voice and the infectious melody out of your head. This one took the internet by storm.

Nissin’s Cup Noodles Commercial

Manga artist Eisaku Kubonouchi designed the characters in this Cup Noodle commercial, which reimagines the beloved Kiki from Studio Ghibli’s animated sensation Kiki’s Delivery Service as a 17-year-old teenager.

Full Details: https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/53161

Cooking with a Naughty Shiba Inu

Mari the Shiba Inu “helps” her owner with a spot of cooking. This video is funny every time.

Did you enjoy this list? They’re the kind of videos you can watch over and over again. If you have a favourite video then be sure to share it with us on Facebook!

Japan’s largest music specialized channel, “Space Shower TV’s”premium live program, “SPACE SHOWER TV “LIVE with YOU” did a TV show recording of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s Februray 19^th (Mon.) live at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM.

For the 22^nd version of this program, the artist who stood on the stage of Ebisu LIQUIDROOM was none other than the evangelist of Harajuku’s KAWAii culture, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

The floor of the venue was filled to capacity with an invited in advanced audience. The audience was made up of people of all types and all ages from adults to children who had come with their parents. Some hard-core fans came wearing Kyary’s cosplay. The great variety of the audience make up was proof of the fact that Kyary is a national idol.

Kyary tweeted on the day of the live, “I really hope you will hop about at my live today!”Just before the live began there was an unusual announcemet, “We hope you will jump around and really enjoy yourselves!”

Kyary’s usual lives come with an elaborate stage set and fancy and unique clothing, all which draw her audience into her special world. However, for this live the only decoration on stage was a flag which had the words, “Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.”

For the opening set Kyary’s familiar dancers made their appearance. Kyary then appeared in front of a silver mic stand wearing a simple red one piece dress and with a ponytail. She first did a high-powered performance of her 2 songs, “Fashion Monster”and “Invader Invader.”The smooth dancing and the rapid succession of her songs set the floor on fire.

During the first MC announcement it was revealed that this was Kyary’s first live performance at LIQUIDROOM. Being a live house, it was first suggested that she should come wearing just a T-shirt and shorts. However, this was rejected and in the end she appeared in her private one piece dress.

Kyary commented after her first songs, “I’ve never performed so close to my audience in a live house like this, so let’s become one and really enjoy ourselves!”and then she sailed into her all popular songs, “Ninjari Ban Ban” and “Mondai Girl.”Next, after commenting, “This is a live house, so I’ll sing this old song of mine!”she began to sing “Serious Hitomi,”a song on her album and a song very popular among her fans. The climax of her first set was “Kira Kira Killer” and then into her next set she performed “CANDY CANDY” and “Tsukema Tsukeru.” She kept the heat on and left no time for the audience floor cool down.

In her second set MCing she asked the audience the question, “Did you catch it? I started do my movements for “Nyanko Star” in the middle of my performance of “Tsukema Tsukeru.”According to Kyary, the dance steps for “Tsukema Tsukeru”are so difficult that at times she changes her movements to the movements for a “dojo sukui”(traditional dance called, “scooping loaches”). Then at one live performance she happened to do the movements for the “Angola Soncho” in the song “Nyanko Star.”

“I went with the flow for a while!”she explained, to which the audience had a big laugh.

After a short choreography lesson, Kyary performed “Sai & Ko”and “Harajuku Iyahoi”to finish up her last set. For her encore she performed her early song, “PON PON PON” and then she finished her live with her glittering and dreamy and Kyaryish song, “Mottainai to land.”

In this live, Kyary’s staging and clothing was very simple so the audience was able to enjoy Kyary’s performance and MCing from a very close range. She is not only “Kawaii”(cute) and extraordinary but she proved herself to be a excellent entertainer. This was a live performance where the audience experienced the charms of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu through body and soul.

This live performance can be aired on Space Shower TV on March 31 (Sat.) 21:30. Mark this date and be sure not to miss it.

POPSPRING is undoubtedly Japan's biggest pop music festival. Expect to see gracing the stage at this year's event some of the world's biggest artists including Little Mix and Liam Payne, among some new faces which have been highly anticipated. POPSPRING 2018 promises to be bigger and better than any of its predecessors. Newcomers in the final wave of line-up announcements include two pop icons representing their respective countries - the US and Japan, respectively.

Nick Jonas: Nominated a Best New Artist at the GRAMMYs, Nick is known not only for his work in music as a solo artist, but as the third brother of the legendary brother band the Jonas Brothers with which he performed on several hit movies by the Disney Channel. Since going solo, he has released a string of hit songs that have topped the US charts. He's a lively entertainer in the pop scene and is bringing it all to Japan for the very first time.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Japan's pop icon made her debut under music producer Yasutaka Nakata, and has since captivated not just Japan but the world for her unique outlook and fashion sense. Her work has been acknowledged by some of the world's biggest stars including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, and she has successfully completed 3 world tours to date. International sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be representing Japan at this year's POPSPRING.

With just two months to go, POPSPRING have unveiled their final two behemoth acts. Hurry and get your tickets now.

It was recently announced that RADWIMPS's new song Mountain Top from their forthcoming double A-side single will serve as the main theme song to the Japanese release of Legend of the Demon Cat by internationally renowned Chinese film director Chen Kaige.

The song was released ahead of the physical release on February 7th for digital download on iTunes and other digital platforms.

A music video for the second track on the single, Mountain Top, which will be used as an insert track in the movie, was also released. The songs were written after a long and detailed discussion with the director, Chen Kaige. The transient yet immense tracks break beyond the boundaries of language and culture to serve a hugely important role in the movie.

RADWIMPS - "Mountain Top" Music Video

The new double A-side single Mountain Top / Shape of Miracle was written specifically for Chen Kaige's latest work, Legend of the Demon Cat, which has been co-produced in Japan and China.

Mountain Top will serve as the main theme song to the movie while Shape Of Miracle will feature as an insert track. The single marks the newest work from the band on a movie since Your Name. (Kimi no Na wa.) for which they wrote the soundtrack. The film went on to become an international sensation, earning many awards and breaking box office records.

▼Comment from RADWIMPS lead singer & songwriter Yojiro Noda

“I have been lucky enough to be involved with director Chen’s film ‘Legend of the Demon Cat.’

“When we met in Japan to discuss the song, I was very impressed by the vision for the film, the energy and the passion that poured from his words during the talk. We made sure to write the song in such a way that does not diminish the flame of what he wanted to portray.

“The movie uses a spectacular set, cast and technology, but the story is rooted in the essence of humanity’s beauty and ugliness that has gone unchanged for thousands of years, and how the gap between reason and instinct continues to shake. It’s a historical epic, but I felt it was also the tale of how we are today. I have much respect for the director who completed this movie.

“A film the likes of which I have never seen before is right here. Please look forward to it.”

An alternative flower design CD cover is also available as a bonus to people who purchase a copy of the single.

Be sure to check out the latest release from RADWIMPS and the movie, set to hit theaters in Japan on February 24th.