Zipangu Brings J-Pop To Los Angeles, CA
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- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Article Contributed by Monica Soriano
On May 16, 2026, a celebration of Japanese music took place at The Rosebowl in Pasadena, Ca. Thousands of people gathered to watch music acts such as Hana, 10-Feet, Chanmina, Man With A Mission, Atarashii Gakko!, Yuki Chiba and Ado! The lines wrapped around the venue and many fans were wearing merchandise from previously attended concerts of the act they were most excited for. Vendors surrounded the grassy fields with options such as matcha, onigiri, noodles, dumplings and much more. The merch lines were lengthy with some attendees lining up for over 3 hours. The SVIP section provided the best viewing for the music lovers and the VIP section was to the left side of the stage and had easy access to restrooms, charging stations and also provided a good view of the stage. While the stage for GA was further out and varied depending on what area one was at, the small hills at The Rosebowl provided great views and room to sit on blankets. The sky was cloudy therefore it wasn’t too hot and the sound was loud enough to know what act was on stage while standing on the lines for food. For a first year event, the schedule for the acts was precise and The Rosebowl proved to be perfect for Zipangu.
The many acts varied in genres and visual styles. There was a girl group, bands with live instruments and a mysterious artist that doesn’t show her face but draws a big enough crowd to headline. Each artist had their own interactions with the public and truly enamoured new viewers. First up was a DJ set by Teddy Loid, perfect to get the arriving fans a good welcome. After Teddy, the members of girl group Hana took the stage.
HANA
The 7 member girl group opened the event with charisma and eye-catching choreography.
Hana performed songs such as “All In”, “My Body”, “Bad Girl”, “Blue Jeans”, “Rose” and more. Their wardrobe was fun and colorful with a spunky element of T-shirt made skirts and layering. Hana was truly a wonderful kickoff following Teddy’s DJ set as they provided a lighthearted atmosphere. Since there was no MC and the acts were being presented through a video clip on screen, their communication with the audience helped set the tone. In about 30ish minutes Chika, Naoko, Jisoo, Yuri, Momoka, Koharu and Mahina filled the stage with confidence, excitement, choreography and a full on performance rich in vibrance.
10-FEET
The band, which debuted in 1997, was full of energy at Zipangu.
The rock trio consisting of Takuma Mitamura, Naoki Inoue and Kouichi Nakaoka are seasoned in the music scene and gave a performance that reflected just that gained experience. They appeared playing live instruments in normal t-shirts allowing for a focus to be directed to their delivery filling the ambiance with high intensity. They performed songs such as “Spurt Syndromer”, “Dave Road”, “Dai Zero-kan”, “River” and many others. The band would take moments to speak with the audience about their enjoyment being in Los Angeles and their musical inspirations. A wonderful rock performance.
CHANMINA
The Rapper/Singer performed a set filled with great vigor.
Someone who surprised many was Chanmina, her inner rockstar energy truly shined through on the stage. She performed a 40 minute set which included songs like “Bijin”, “Picky”, “Forgive Me”, “I’m Not Ok” amongst many others and ending her set with “Work Hard”.
Her engagement with the cameras throughout her performance gave fun angles for those further out and her commentary while speaking to the audience was undeniably charismatic. A fun moment during her set was when a bit of sunshine peaked through the outcast sky and she said hello to it. The contrast between her bubbly personality and her alternative performing style was refreshing.
MAN WITH A MISSION
The 5 member band who wear wolf masks on stage to hide their identities had the crowd jumping and fully engaged.
Man With A Mission’s set was a sight to remember, the audience had their arms high and jumping. There were some who took their own wolf masks to the show and were there to see this set specifically. Tokyo Tanaka, Jean-Ken Johnny, Kamikaze Boy, Dj Santa Monica and Spear Rib are the names of the members behind the masks, they interacted with the audience in such a way that was positively infectious.
The band had no photo, no video and no binoculars sign up during their set which may be part of the reason why people felt free enough to raise their arms and fully engage with the music. MWAM performed songs like “Raise your flag”, an AC/DC cover of “Thunderstruck” “database” featuring Takuma Mitamura of band 10-Feet, “Against the Kings and Gods” among others.
ATARASHII GAKKO!
The all girl quartet has mastered the art of visually stunning choreography.
Atarashii Gakko! began their set while still daylight out and ended their set with a dark sky. The high energy performance and tightly synched choreography was so mesmerising that the shift from day to night was not a focus.
What made their choreography stunning was the delivery from Mizyu,Rin, Suzuka and Kanon. All the girls seemed immersed in their on stage persona while performing and had an intense sharpness to them that was a joy to watch. Some songs from their set included “Go Wild”, new song “Chanka Chanka”, “Arigato”, "Pineapple Kryptonite” and the song which made fans go wild “Tokyo Calling”. Towards the end of their set Suzuka launched herself to crowd surf. It was an epic way to leave behind a memorable performance for those fans in the front rows.
Yuki Chiba
The performer who ran down the pathway to say hello to the audience.
Rapper Yuki Chiba’s performance had moments that were fun and others that were touching. His set started upbeat then turned into a somber setting with lights from cellphones and lightsticks lighting up the event. He had an emotionally charged performance of “Moraimono” before picking back up. Songs in his set included “Omote”, “Shinpai Muyou”, and “Annyeonghaseyo” among others.
During “Team Tomodachi” Yuki took the liberty of running around the stage and beyond through the pathways wherever he could reach people. His high energy stunned fans and commentary about living in and loving Los Angeles was rather endearing.
Ado
The mysterious singer with a voice that can echo beyond The Rosebowl.
Ado is known for her powerful voice, of course, but she is also known for the mystery that surrounds her identity. She performs in a semi enclosed box on stage which helps shield her face along with bright lights and visuals on the screen behind her and strobe lights flickering. Before her set began, there were signs that appeared on screen that photos, videos and binoculars were not allowed for the duration on her set, this is to help prevent any leaks of her appearance and respect her privacy. Many of the event goers were wearing either Ado concert merch from previous shows or character shirts/merch from ‘One Piece’ since she lent her singing voice to the main character Uta. Some of the songs she performed were “Odo”, “Gira Gira”, “Kira”, “Value”, “Tot Musica”, a cover of Miki Matsubara’s “Stay With Me” and “New Genesis”. It’s not often that an artist is full of energy and willingly confines themselves into a limited space for their performances but that was the case for Zipangu’s headlining act.The impression that remained was that Ado’s voice is simply splendid. She could have stood there singing and the crowd would have still adored her. The imagery added a nice touch, her silhouette let us know she was there but her voice was powerful beyond belief. The entirety of her set was entertaining, leaving many in awe.
Zipangu was an incredible experience filled with talented performers and a fun crowd. Some of the artists made their U.S. debut at Zipangu, there was much excitement felt from the stage and their expressions delivered said enthusiasm with sincerity. The artists Zipangu selected to perform during this event represented the rich, vibrant and diverse music scene in Japan. We hope Zipangu returns for a second year in 2027 to bring more music to Los Angeles, Ca.