The large festival “ASOBISYSTEM 18th Anniversary ASOBIEXPO 2025” commemorating the 18th anniversary of Asobi System’s founding was held on Sunday, July 20th at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall 9-11.
This event featured a live performance by over 10 artists, including Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, the first stage since giving birth, as well as the new school leaders, the idol group of KAWAII LAB., artist/virtual viewing KizunaAI, and more. Approximately 12,000 visitors were gathered.
In addition to sponsoring booths, there will be large signs for the main visual and photo spots in various places, and the venue will be bustling with commemorative photos of visitors from the moment the doors open. At the booth at the entrance to the venue, a photo project was held entitled “Kyary Welcome Back Board” to celebrate Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s postpartum return. Many photos and messages were posted by visitors, making it a spot filled with smiles.
The live show OPENING SHOW features unique artists. Sunazuki Rinka, who served as the lead, gave a supple singing voice, and the following bala brought a stylish atmosphere into the venue with her cool stage. The third group is Kawani Shinatsuki, a singer-songwriter who is attracting attention, mainly on social media. The “ideal girl” is impressive with her life-size lyrics, and the relaxed singing voice, “Sbr, sometimes left to the wind” leaves a gentle aftertaste in the venue. And the end of the opening show is Kondo Natsuko, who celebrates her 15th anniversary of her debut. The venue was livened up with the light MC, and the audience delivered a positive message with “Good day by day.”
CUTIE STREET appeared on the main stage with the show starting at 2pm. As the members appeared with smiles, the audience was suddenly excited with upper numbers such as “Pretty Cinderella!” and “I can’t stop in the queue!” In “Is it okay to just be cute?” Furusawa Risa asks, “Is it okay to just be cute?” and the audience calls the familiar “It’s fine!”, and as the intro plays, loud cheers fill the venue. It once again made an impression on me, as a song that symbolizes CUTIE STREET.
Toua, who has over 3 million followers on social media, appeared with dancers at the venue in the afternoon. When “MY Routine” draws the audience in with lyrics that seem to scoop up the realities of everyday life, “BEST FRIEND” brings out a sense of unity with the stage. “I am I” was a stage where Toua’s kindness and strength were blended together, with a message of self-affirmation and an energetic performance that brought the audience to a call for “OK!” all at once.
Klang Ruler, the only band at the event, softly repainted the atmosphere of the venue. Their groovy sound spreads comfortably, including the first song, “Unbelievable Bubble,” the self-cover of the new school leaders created by Vo.yonkey, and the popular social media “Teenage Blue,” and the groovy sound that is unique to them, shaking the audience’s bodies. The diverse lineup of “ASOBIEXPO 2025” has added new colors.
The new PiKi unit, which was carried over the growing heat, was FRUITS ZIPPER’s Karen Matsumoto and CUTIE STREET’s Haruka Sakuraba. The first song, “Kawaii Kaiwai,” suddenly caught the audience’s gaze with a full-length cuteness performance, and then they went to the new song “Tell Me Tell Me☆,” which will be performed for the first time this day. The venue was quickly wrapped in PiKi mode, with a retro-pop sound reminiscent of the 1980s, and the cute, nostalgic worldview was expressed.
Next up was SWEET STEADY, dressed in a new costume that was first unveiled. “Call me, Tell me” adds a pop beat to the stage with fresh singing voices and smiles. Every time the audience waves in line with the chorus, a natural sense of unity arises in the venue. At the end of the show, “SWEET BLOOM,” she gave a strong flair on the stage that day with her supple dance and straight singing voice.
CANDY TUNE was the last part of the first half. After holding arena performances and receiving reactions on social media, the seven members have steadily increased their presence, and even brought a glamorous atmosphere to the live performance that day. The moment the intro to “Kiss Me Pastry Chef” plays, the audience hops all leapt at once, “I’ve been waiting!”, and the glitter light sways like waves. “Double FIGHT!”, which has surpassed TikTok’s views 28 times, reached its peak, and the venue was filled with excitement, causing a huge call that shook the venue. It became a stage that symbolizes CANDY TUNE’s momentum.
After an hour’s break, KizunaAI appears on the screen, and the quietness spreads. She resumed her activities in February this year, and performed six songs including her new songs, “Hand Sign” and “Omagane”, and she will show off the unique world of virtual music, along with video production using AR and lasers. With the audience waving towards the screen, it was a moment when it made me feel that KizunaAI’s existence was indeed “here and now.”
More than six hours after the show began, when FRUITS ZIPPER members appeared in new costumes to the lively beat of “NEW KAWAII,” and the audience waved their hands hard, and the excitement in the venue suddenly increased. In the following, “My Cutest Place,” a loud cheer erupted at the same time as the intro, and a call echoed from throughout the venue during the chorus. Without slacking off the momentum until the end, FRUITS ZIPPER used his “cute” and “full power” as his weapon to capture the hearts of the audience.
At the end of the event, the leaders of new schools that are active globally appeared. They performed in succession with “Go Wild” and “Toryanse,” and quickly raised the excitement in the venue. In the following “Adult Blue,” the floor sways to the “swinging dance,” and a loud singing voice echoes in the chorus. In the final sprint, SUZUKA landed in the audience and performed, and with “One Heart,” the venue transformed into a dance floor where people of all ages can do whatever they want.
The finale of the event was Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, an artist who represents the Asobi System. As the beat of “Fashion Monster” echoes, the lighting and visual production combine to dye the venue in her colours. The set list focuses on representative songs such as “100% to you” and “CANDY CANDY,” and naturally spreads the audience’s clapping and dancing. And his new song, “KURU KURU HARAJUKU,” which was performed for the first time in his live performance, was, according to him, the sharpest song of his career. While giving a sense of his offensive attitude as an artist, he also greatly shook the floor with his new techno-pop. On stage, it was announced that the “Kyary Pamyu Pamyu One-Man LIVE 2025 Dreamin Dreamin” to be held at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA on October 25th, and the venue received a lot of applause. The final sprints, “Ninjaribanban” and “Harajuku Iyahoi,” further strengthened the sense of unity with the audience, and the stage was filled with excitement, perfect for the finale.
During the encore “PONPONPONPON”, the performers from that day gathered on stage at Kyary’s appeal. With cheers and applause, the song was filled with cheers and applause, and a call to “Let’s Play!” took place at the venue after the song ended, and the performance was a spectacular conclusion with a grand finale that was truly worthy of the 18th anniversary of the Asobi System. Finally, it was announced that “ASOBIEXPO 2026” will be held in June 2026. Details will be announced at a later date.
PHOTO: Yoshimori Yuna, Kanaya Ryunosuke
