VIIsual Splendor: Travis Japan Live at Yokohama Arena

828 days. I’ve waited 828 days for this moment. It all began on September 29, 2022, when I learned that Travis Japan, a seven-member song-and-dance unit, would finally debut—a milestone they had worked toward since their formation in 2012. Since then, I’ve been an enthusiastic observer of their journey—attending concerts, conducting interviews, and even crossing paths with them at events like the red carpet premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King (where Genta “G” Matsuda voiced Taka, or Scar, in the Japanese dub).

Yet, all those encounters had been in the United States—at places like the OC Japan Fair and The El Rey Theatre. While each experience was incredible, I longed to witness them perform on their home turf, surrounded by the energy of their Japanese fans. That dream became a reality on January 5, 2025, at the Yokohama Arena.

The massive venue, seating 17,000, was packed with an electrified crowd. Upon arriving, I was greeted by a sea of uchiwas, posters, and fans proudly showcasing their love for their oshi (推し). One fan, holding a bouquet of Chaka-themed uchiwas, eagerly showed them off, even letting me snap a photo of her creative display. The event celebrated the group’s sophomore album, VIIsual, produced by Kaito “Umi” Nakamura. The VIIsual Concert Tour 2025 will bring the group to a staggering 291,000 fans.

I’ve attended major concerts—SixTONES and Snow Man at Tokyo Dome, with its capacity of 55,000—but this felt different. Travis Japan holds a special place in my heart, and seeing thousands of fans united in their support for them was emotional. As I took my seat and scanned the sea of penlights, lost in a rainbow of colors, those emotions only grew.

The group burst onto the stage through trapdoors with an explosive performance of ｢99 PERCENT｣ (the theme song to Matsuda’s 2023 drama The Date of Marriage). It’s a powerful number and an excellent choice to kick off the show.

They spun straight into the steamy ｢Love Tag｣—full of fanservice, especially from Genta and Umi, who couldn’t stop shaking their hips and blowing kisses to the crowd. ｢Happy Groovy｣ followed, trailed by their newest single ｢Crazy Crazy｣. The music video for this song is a personal favorite, capturing a distinctly Japanese aesthetic. Kaito “Chaka” Miyachika’s expressive faces in the video are worth every second. 

｢Sweetest Tune｣ came next. As the theme for Matsuda’s 2024 romantic drama Tokyo Tower, the song marked the group’s evolution from being the boys you hang out with during the day to the men you dream of spending the night with.

A remixed version of ｢Candy Kiss｣ followed—similar to their performance at The El Rey. I can only hope this rendition ends up on a future album or single.

After a quick costume change, the group returned with ｢Whiskey and Tonic｣ written by Matsukura Kaito. The sultry track about being drunk in love gave the boys ample time for more fanservice, with Matsuda blowing kisses like a pro. The mood shifted as they moved into ｢fireflies,｣ my favorite song from the new album. With its indie ’90s rock vibe, it’s a standout track.

The high-energy ｢T.G.I Friday Night｣ followed—a summer anthem released during Pride that subtly signaled inclusivity, inviting everyone to “just dance together.”

Though only on the Family Club version of the album, the unit songs for VIIsual are a lot of fun.  ｢Trick! Trick!｣ by Miyachika, Matsukura and Ryuya ‘Shime’ Shimekake plays out like a video game, except, instead of saving the princess, the boys blow up her castle. Which is fine, princesses are overrated anyway – I know a very single journalist more than willing to move to Japan for a pop star with a sense of humor. ｢Warm it Up｣ featuring Nakamura and Matsuda did just that – and more. Steamy and sensual, there were several moments of heteroflexibility that got everyone in the audience fired up. 

Before the final unit track the TJ as a whole appeared on stage together for ｢Underdogs｣ which was written by group member Noel Kawashima. Very much a pop-rock anthem, the song is autobiographical, much like Kawashima’s new book, a collection of essays, Idol Filter (アイドルのフィルター) which was released earlier this winter. 

｢DRIVIN’ ME CRAZY｣, ｢Dance With Me ～Lesson 1～n｣, and ｢Party Up Like Crazy｣ rounded off the first half of the show before the group relaxed into the MC section to announce their first double A-Side (and physically released) single ｢Say I do / Tokyo Crazy Night｣ which will featured in two new series one starring Miyachika the other Matsukura. In addition to new songs the physical release will also feature behind-the-scenes and bonus video content across four separate editions. You can purchase them wherever Japanese movies and music are sold, including CD JAPAN!

The group also announced their second world tour. Though dates and locations have yet to be revealed, I feel confident enough to speak for the entire USA when I say, please come – we’re going to need a little of that TJ swagger and shine to get through the next few years. 

After the MC segment came the final unit song of the night. ｢Lonely Stars｣ was Kawashima wrote with Shizuya ‘Shizu’ Yoshizawa which incredibly emotional as Kawashima is currently paused his idol activities to focus on his mental health. So, his parts were sung by the rest of the group. The song ended with Shizu (ever the little imp) flashing his smile and thanking the crowd. 

｢夢のHollywood (English: My Dreamy Hollywood｣ was paired with the new track ｢HBD (Happy Birthday)｣ which were great, but eclipsed by ｢Rush｣ which was written by Matsuda and performed by the group with open shirts. The crowd screamed. A lot. As I was sitting with respected members of the Japanese press, I kept my screams internal. Coincidentally, I found out that I DO have great self-control – when surrounded by the members of the Japanese press.  

The official lead single of the album, ｢BO$$Y｣, was electrifying. The guys embodied the kind of fun and sultry vibe that doubles down on that dream about being the one they choose to keep company after dark. Following up with ｢Thrill｣, they kept up that Big Boss Energy, and though in a bit of “call me daddy” with it. 

Taking a step back to some of their earlier hits, the group performed a new mix of ｢Moving Pieces｣ which lit up the stage like rainbow. 

｢LEVEL UP｣ was one of the songs where I thought a lot about Kawashima, mostly because the group made sure he was there in spirit. There’s no question the six members are brilliant, but Noel adds a bit of polish to that shine and he was surely missed and hope to see him perform on ｢Golden Girl｣. 

The group ended the show with ｢Okie Dokie｣ and ｢Staying with you｣. These songs were significant as, going back to the fact that Kawashima’s absence was surely felt by the group and the fans, these two songs in particular are ones of hope and promise for the future.

The Encore section included a repeat performance of ｢Crazy Crazy｣ as well as the group’s first single ｢Just Dance!｣

｢Keep on Smiling｣ and ｢Fly Higher｣ followed which brought the group to the upper decks of the arena where I was able to see all six of them up close and personally – something that is fundamental to the special experience STARTO artists always bring to their shows. 

828 days. I waited 828 days for this moment. Seeing the guys face to face, telling them how proud I was for the work they’ve done and how far they’ve come. They have inspired me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. I love these guys, I love this group, and I cannot wait to see what 2025 has in store for them.  

There will be more Travis Japan soon so…

Stay Tuned!