Travis Japan is a group I’ve had the honor and privilege of watching grow — from scrappy little underdog trainees, hungry to succeed, to the international J-pop superstars they are today. I know how hard they’ve worked. I’ve seen it with my own eyes: the blood, sweat, and tears poured into their careers through our numerous interviews. Now, with two world tours and three chart-topping albums under their belts, you’d think they might take a moment to rest — to bask in the glory of what they’ve achieved.

But rest is one English word Travis Japan seems to have ZERO interest in learning.

When one goal is accomplished, it’s full steam ahead toward the next. It’s that relentless hunger — that need to keep pushing — that drives them to become bigger, bolder, and better than they were before. It’s what makes these seven tigers truly unique.

Stepping into Yokohama Arena on 4 January, exactly one year after the last time I saw them in Japan, I was once again surrounded by 17,000 Traja-Tan, cheering with unrestrained excitement. Penlights and uchiwas in hand, I found myself instinctively clocking who supported whom, and which fans might share my own personal bias. Though, to be fair, it’s almost impossible to have a single bias in Travis Japan — each member contributes something essential to the whole. When one is missing, it’s seen, it’s heard, and most importantly, it’s felt. Which is another reason why I was so excited to be here. It’s my first time seeing all seven members together in Japan.

That’s why, I couldn’t be happier.  Because the result of all seven voices shimmering together was nothing short of a kaleidoscope of color and sound.

The theme to this year’s concert tour (like the album) was time travel. Produced by Machu, it’s exactly what one would expect from the pure tiger. While the exact inspirations are unknown to me, it wasn’t hard to spot echoes of the Back to the Future films and perhaps even Stranger Things woven into his master plan.

As the overhead a billion twinkles of color lit up, strewing across the ceiling like starlight – it was time for the story to begin!

The group arrived onstage in a strawberry-shaped spaceship. Dressed in silver, they  launched into the prologue of this Unique Tiger pop opera with one of their newest tracks, ｢Gravitate｣ from their third studio album ‘s travelers. On its own, it’s a really great track, but seeing it performed like this, it must’ve been written with the tour in mind, because no other track could’ve opened the song like this one. Without pause, the guys surged straight into their latest single ｢Disco Baby｣, followed by one of my personal favorites, ｢Crazy Crazy｣, the group introduction anthem ｢Unique Tigers｣. Then, they closed out the prologue  with my number one all time high score bad beat ｢LEVEL UP｣! 

Every time they perform this song it’s better than the last. 

Including the prologue, the concert unfolded across five distinct eras, each with its own sound, aesthetic, and emotional temperature.

Era One:

Drawing inspiration from the Broadway musicals of the 1950s, this era followed a video introduction that showed the guys waking up in the past and featured top hats, tap dancing, and classic (yet undeniably handsome) costuming. Songs in this section included:

  • ｢Welcome to Our Show Tonight｣
  • ｢Till The Dawn｣
  • ｢Swing My Way｣
  • ｢Tokyo Crazy Night｣

The era also featured the first unit song of the night, ｢Shiawase to Arigatou｣ (｢幸せ｣と｢ありがとう｣), performed by Shizu and Genta.

At the time, I hadn’t yet received my Family Club edition of the album, meaning all of the unit songs were brand new to me — which, honestly, made them feel like extra-special gifts, scattered throughout, heightening the concert experience. 

Era Two:

Themed after an ’80s amusement park arcade, this section was bursting with color and playful nostalgia. This section included:

  • ｢POSITIVE KAITO｣ (｢ポジティブカイト｣)

Another unit song, this track was brought to us  by Triple Kaito (Chaka, Umi, Machu). Another first listen for me, and one of my favorites of the night. The colors, the sound, the sheer joy onstage made it impossible not to smile.

  • ｢Say I Do｣ (Complete Version)
  • ｢DRIVIN’ ME CRAZY｣
  • ｢O-Shan-Tee｣ — a coupling song from the group’s first physically released CD single. This marked the first time fans heard it with all seven voices, and Noel’s inclusion only made the song stronger.

Then came the MC portion. As usual charming and cute – with Genta even breaking out into one of Snow Man’s newest tracks “ カリスマックス” (English Title: “CHARISMAX”)

The group also announced their 2nd physical CD single: ｢陰ニモ日向ニモ｣ ( Kage ni mo Hinata ni mo, which loosely translates to: In the Shadow or the Sun – though there is no official English title). The disc will come in a multitled of different formants (with blu-ray / dvd options) – including a special Family Club edition. Each version will also come with exclusive external extras (depending on store). You can pre-order by clicking the image below.

The acoustic version of ｢Okie Dokie｣ ended the MC with Machu on guitar. Another one of my favorites, I am so clad this version was included on the album. It’s just a really wonderful song.

Era Three leaned into the romantic cinema of the 1990s, featuring:

  • ｢Forever Blue｣
  • ｢Maybe｣

Like the first era, this one ended with the final unit song of the night: ｢Nee, kiss shite｣ (ねぇ､キスして) — the final unit song of the night、performed by Shime and Noel. The only way to describe this performance is hot. It was a BL lover’s dream, with Shime and Noel trading roles between seducer and seduced, exuding confidence and chemistry.

While I enjoyed the earlier unit songs, these three felt especially tight — more synergized, more refined, and exceptionally well executed.

Era Four closed out the concert with a look toward the future, spotlighting several standout tracks from the new album:

  • ｢My Bestie｣
  • ｢Backup Plan｣
  • ｢Be Your Shadow｣
  • ｢Go Dummy｣
  • ｢Diamonds｣
  • ｢ODORANAKYA SON｣ (踊らなきゃ損)
    • This song deserves special recognition as it’s just a banger of a track and an absolute riot to see performed live.
  • ｢Teenage Dream｣

Then, the group loaded back into their spaceship and lifted into the sky disappearing into another shimmer of a billion twinkling stars. 

Of course, they returned shortly after to launch into a six-song encore that included:

  • ｢Disco Baby｣
  • ｢Would You Like One?｣
  • ｢Sweetest Tune｣
  • ｢T.G.I Friday Night｣
  • ｢Underdogs｣
  • ｢JUST DANCE!｣

I love watching the guys interact with the fans as they get super up-close and personal. I watched a young (presumably) couple giggle at their interaction with Noel while another girl absolutely swooned as Shime took a moment to sing directly to her. And that euphoric feeling of fan-service is real. I even got little butterflies at a nod from Umi, a peace sign from Noel, and a finger point from Chaka.  

They really know how to make their fans (and this blogger) feel like our time, energy, and support are individually appreciated. It makes us feel special, and it’s greatly appreciated. 

As the encore came to a close, Machu once again took a moment to personally thank the fans for coming. As he went down into the stage, the lights of the arena came back up and it was time to return to reality.  

For two and a half glorious hours I was blissfully enthralled by the story the group had created – which is exactly what music is supposed to do, help us forget our stresses, our struggles, and just exist in emotional tranquility. As I’ve said before – it’s the closest thing we have to magic in this world, and I’m more than grateful for it.

In short, the Travis Japan Concert Tour 2026 ‘s travelers was everything I wanted it to be and more and I’ll be writing about them again soon so… 

Stay Tuned!