With the board set and players ready, Travis Japan’s seven unique members were ready to roar, and roar they did!

♙THE PAWN’S GAMBIT♙

In 2019, the group opened for American pop singer Austin Mahone on his Japan tour, visiting several cities

Early success led to performing the theme song for TORA JA NINJAPAN (虎者 NINJAPAN 2021」テーマソング). Recorded in English, ｢BIG BANG BOY｣ was produced by Hideaki Takizawa, mastermind behind Takizawa Kabuki, the show that turned Snow Man form from a quite unit into one of the biggest groups in J-POP history. On a personal note, as the song that introduced me to Travis Japan, it is one of my favorites.

♞THE KNIGHT’S MOVE♞

As their star continued to rise, plans were set into motion to follow through with the promise to establish what Travis Japan was created for: to be something different – something new –  it was a promise that would lift them out of everything they’d ever known and drop the smack into the middle of the heart of Hollywood. The seven of them lived together alone, without family or agency. They took dance classes, vocal lessons, and even an english-speaking course to help improve their global sustainability.

“One of the best parts of coming to America] was the fact that we all got to live together under one roof,” Genta said in one of their first English-language interviews. “We live separately in Japan, but there we got to wake up and have breakfast together, coffee – even just relax and hang out. We experienced what it was like to live together like a family.” 

The first thing the group did? They dominated The 2022 World of Dance competition – not only did they place in the top ten of the World of Dance competition and took home the award for the Ultimate Crowd Favorite.  

“Getting to participate in the World of Dance Championships was a brand-new and exciting challenge; not just for the 7 of us in Travis Japan, but also for the whole agency,” Chaka, the group’s leader said in a statement to the international press. “Not knowing what would happen each day of the competition or what such esteemed judges might think of our efforts made us really nervous at times, but it was always abated by the roar of the crowds and the thrill of being back on stage.”

♗THE BISHOP’S STRATEGY♗

While competing in numerous events, Travis Japan seized a lifetime opportunity by auditioning for NBC’s hit series America’s Got Talent. Their sparkling costumes and infectious can-do attitude captivated millions of viewers and instantly won over judges Heidi Klum and Sofía Vergara.

While the group did not extend past the semi-finals, it was a lesson each of them took to heart and worked into their performances. 

“We take in a lot from just watching the world around us,” Shime has said of the process in developing their choreography. “How people move and interact with one another, as well as watching other dancers, whether they’re well known or not – it’s very inspiring for us.”

“Los Angeles really spoke to us as a whole,” Umi agreed. “It’s the capital of entertainment, and really the only choice when we were talking about sharpening our skills as far as music and dance are concerned.”

“Our first original song was My Dreamy Hollywood,” Kaito “Machu” Matsukura added, as the group auditioned with an English translation of it for AGT. “With everything that went into the thought process with that song, it just kind of made us feel like it was the place to be.”

♕THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT♕

On 28 September 2022, all of their blood sweat and tears culminated in the announcement that they would officially debut as they signed to Capitol Records / Universal Music World Wide.

When asked about what they planned to do next, group member Noel shot up in excitement. “We want to have a concert in LA! It’s hypothetical! But I hope so!” 

When asked about the kind of song the group hopes they debut with, Shizu, who is arguably the group’s shyest member was the first to speak. “I want it to represent us, as a group, while being something that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. A song everyone can get something from.”

It was a tough game, but Travis Japan played it well. But even though they’d won, a whole new game was about to begin! 

There will be more Travis Japan soon so…

Stay Tuned!