YOASOBI creates a surreal world on their dream stage in their first Tokyo Dome solo show

On their first dome tour, YOASOBI 5th ANNIVERSARY DOME LIVE 2024 “cho-genjitsu” (“SURREALISM”), YOASOBI performed at Kyocera Dome Osaka on October 26th and 27th and Tokyo Dome on November 9th and 10th.

During the four days of the dome tour, celebrating the group's fifth anniversary, they played to a total of around 170,000 people. The theme of the tour was 'surrealism' and, in keeping with the theme, the shows were full of surprises that went above and beyond the real thing. The set list consisted of a total of 25 songs, ranging from their debut, “Into the Night”, to their newest song, “New me”. The audience got to know and enjoy the many different faces of YOASOBI, who has become one of the leading figures in the J-pop world.

At the duo's first solo tour at the Tokyo Dome on November 9th, the first thing that opened their eyes was the way they took the stage. Shortly after the scheduled start time, the YOASOBI logo appeared on the huge LED screen at the back of the stage, accompanied by a 10-second countdown. Huge monster claws tore through the logo and giant hands appeared from the left and right sides, opening up the area above the stage for Ayase and ikura to make their appearance. ikura shouted, “Welcome to the surreal! Do you think you can make it to the end, Tokyo?' and the duo began playing “Seventeen.” Lasers flew through the air and audience-worn FreFlow remote-controlled lights lit up, immersing the 50,000 attendees into a fantasy world.

Ayase and ikura, wearing down jackets like a monster, followed “The Blessing”. They then came down, joined the rest of the band to perform two aggressive numbers, “Monster” and “UNDEAD”. Flames erupted from the stage and the dome resounded with the band's live playing and ikura's soulful voice.

After they were introduced to the audience again, Ayase shouted, “We're finally here, after dreaming for so long! We're here at the Tokyo Dome!” Then they played two catchy and happy numbers, “Halzion” and “Mister”. The audience applauded and the duo waved fans left and right, wrapping the dome in a warm and inviting mood.

For “Mou Sukoshi Dake” a cityscape with skyscrapers was revealed on the left stage. In “Umi No Manimani” and “Comet”, the right stage was decorated with a seaside set, complete with vending machines and benches. These sets, along with the on-screen backdrops in the video, created a new world for each song. YOASOBI is a music unit that produces music inspired by novels, and there is a story behind each of the songs they have released. Their shows, depicting the worlds of each of their songs, are almost like theme park attractions.

This was followed by a video retrospective of their impressive five-year history, including their performances in the US and at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan, where they played to a live audience for the first time. It ended with a look at the computer screen on which Ayase wrote “Probably” using Vocaloid. In the spotlight, a new set was revealed, showing the room where Ayase lived when he wrote the song. Surrounded by items such as a refrigerator and microwave, Ayase sat at a low table, wearing headphones, while ikura sang the relaxing tune. The middle of the show gave the audience a sense of YOASOBI's origins, here in this humble apartment. The two then performed “Haruka,” which was followed by an audience quiz using the FreFlow lights. The two then performed their new song, “New me.” With this fresh, happy song about starting a new life, it felt like the duo were embarking on a new beginning.

The two left the stage and the band members were introduced again: drummer Honogumo, bassist Hikaru Yamamoto, keyboardist Zaquro Misohagi and guitarist AssH, all dressed in black suits. Each performed a powerful solo and talked about how they felt standing on the Tokyo Dome stage.

Then Ayase, also wearing a black suit, shouted “Okay, now to the second half!” and the ikura, veiled, returned to the stage. They played “The Brave” and then ikura launched into an a cappella rendition of “Tracing that Dream” before joining the rest of the band. The song and performance drew the audience in even deeper. During “RGB”, the crowd was twirling around their towels as the excitement grew even more.

ikura then told the audience, “We're going to need all your votes for this next one!” With this, YOASOBI launched their smash hit, “Idol”. Cheers erupted as the intro began and ikura sang on the main stage, surrounded by child dancers, while Ayase pounded the drums. The hearty shouts of the 50,000 crowd, chanting “Oi! Ouch!” struck through the dome. The place caught fire. Beaming at the audience, Ayase said “Five years ago, I never would have thought we'd be here in the spotlight, with people cheering all around us. This is really great. Thank you.”

He continued, reflecting on the past five years, “…but it wasn't all wine and roses. There were difficult times. There were times when I thought I couldn't take it anymore.” He said that while there were times when he was happy, just as often, he felt intensely lonely. The turning point, he said, was when the group performed live. He talked about seeing the smiles on the faces of people in the audience. And with that, YOASOBI began to perform “Monotone”, a song about loneliness. Afterwards, ikura shared with the crowd how happy she felt to be able to perform at the Tokyo Dome, a stage she had long dreamed of performing on. “I think what makes YOASOBI live great is our live team,” he said, and thanked the staff who worked together to create the stage sets, led by the desire to create worlds that no one had ever seen before.

“We follow the path we feel in our hearts,” she declared and, her voice rich with deep emotion, performed “Encore” on the main stage. For “HEART BEAT,” he called out to the crowd, “Let's all raise our voices together!” and led a song along with the audience.

During 'Love Letter', a balloon decorated like a monster rose from the back of the stage. Ayase and ikura boarded the balloon, looking down at the audience and waving as they sang. During the “Adventure”, the members carted around the arena while joining in the spotlight. The child dancers then performed again during “The Swallow” and the group closed the set with “Blue”. The 50,000 people in the audience came together as one, singing along to the grand finale as the confetti flew down.

As calls for an encore echoed through the Tokyo Dome, Ayase, ikura and the rest of the band returned to the stage and performed “Butai ni Tatte”. ikura played a white electric guitar as she sang. As she sang the lyrics, “Now I'm standing in front of the scenery I've been dreaming of,” she broke into a huge smile. It was obvious that he felt this message as one that resonated deeply with YOASOBI's own position.

Their last song was their debut, “Into the Night”. The visual effects on the screen behind them showed past performances of the song and this synchronicity of past and present tugged at the audience's heartstrings. The show ended with thunderous cheers. Ayase and ikura took a picture to commemorate the event and then left the stage, but a palpable feeling of joy lingered in the air.

YOASOBI's first solo show at Tokyo Dome was filled with amazing and beautiful performances. The last impression left was the sheer power of the duo's music to captivate so many listeners.

With this dome show, the two finally reached a destination they had been working towards for a while, but it was also a new beginning. From December to February 2025, they will start YOASOBI ASIA tour 2024-2025 cho-genjitsua seven-city tour of Seoul, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Taipei, Shanghai, Singapore and Jakarta; The Tokyo Dome show was a night that raised expectations for YOASOBI's future to an even higher level.

—This article by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan