AWA, a subscription-based music streaming service run by AWA Co., Ltd. (head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Togashi Akimi), will be holding the 55th episode of “AWA Stage (commonly known as AWASTES),” a program that will open up the next stage in the scene, starting at 22:00 on Friday, July 25th, 2025, in its “Lounge,” an online space that anyone can participate for free, and invites guests to attract attention from the online scene and brings together popular artists, mainly on the internet scene, and together with the expert MC, to open up the next stage in the scene.
The 55th guest will be three groups: Akatsuki Ruki, a multi-creator who works as a Vsinger and also works on illustrations and Live2D modeling, Uesugi Mao, who made her major debut as one of the twin vocalists on fripSide and is active in both solo units, who made her solo debut this year, and Minami Izumi, a singer-songwriter of unknown age who wants to push someone else with her “free” music!
The program MC is TAKUYA the bringer, an official AWA online curator and an advisor to Akihabara Entertainment, an event space with over 100 VTubers appearing in a year, and also works as a DJ activity both domestically and internationally, writer/editor Moriyama de Ro, and virtual singer Shikibu Meguri.
Stay tuned for the talks and projects unique to the “AWA Lounge” where you can interact with listeners. Anyone can participate in the lounge for free, and if you download the AWA app in advance, you can enjoy it even more by requesting and interacting with artists.
■ Overview of “Awaste” 55th episode
Date and Time: Friday, July 25th, 2025, 22:00-24:00
Guest: Akatsuki Ruki/Uesugi Mao/Minami Izumi
Main MC: TAKUYA the bringer
Sub-MC: Shikibu Megumi, Moriyama de Ro
* Appearances may be cancelled at the last minute.
▼Job participation URL
https://mf.awa.fm/open_awastage_0725_pr
■Akatsuki Ruki
Akatsuki Ruki is the devil who wants to become an angel someday.
While working as a Vsinger, he is a multi-creator who also works on illustrations and Live2D modeling himself.
In June 2025, they made a 3D version and first-one-man live performance, and recently they have been actively appearing at various real live events.
I’ll make something fun again today so that I can become an angel one day.
■Uesugi Mao
In 2022, he was selected as the vocalist for fripSide’s third season, and made his major debut as one of FripSide’s twin vocalists with the opening theme song “dawn of infinity,” the TV anime “The Dawn of Infinity.”
Though he is slender and petite, he has a strong and relaxed singing voice and is a pillar of twin vocals in the third season of fripSide.
By 2025, he will be participating in four singles and four albums, and will be conducting a live house tour of 47 prefectures.
Along with this, he has also appeared at three major anime songs festivals, including LisAnime! Live (2023, 2025), ANIMAX MUSIX (2024), and Animelo Summer Live (2024), and is expected to perform even more as a unit, but he has made his solo debut in 2025, aiming to reach even greater heights from both the unit and solo.
■Minami Izumi
A singer-songwriter of unknown age.
When I was a student, my days of singing and guitar were irreplaceable times for me.
After having saved my heart by many songs up until now, I have come to want to push someone else’s back with “free” music.
In order to make that dream come true, he decided to join RIOT MUSIC.
■TAKUYA the bringer
Founder Selecta Fukuoka / Advisor Akihabara ENTAS
He is currently working in DJing both domestically and internationally, focusing on original songs by VTubers.
As a navigator of the radio program “VTuber Music DJ’s #VMDJ,” he shares the appeal of VTuber music. He also served as the main MC for the official music streaming app “AWA” program “#Awaste”, and is supported by a wide range of listeners.
He has appeared in many domestic and international DJ events, including events hosted by major companies such as JR West, Sanrio, and Bandai Namco, and is active as a pioneer in the music scene that connects real and virtually.
X Account: https://twitter.com/selecta_takuya?s=21&t=ItGm0M7QrBIzzZ30k3K6PA
TAKUYA the bringer account:https://mf.awa.fm/3I8TSk9
■ Shikibu Meguro
A complicated literary girl who admires Murasaki Shikibu, singing virtually electro music. Nicknamed “Shikimegu”. My dream is to become an idol like the moon. In February 2020, he began his personal activities as a VTuber and Vsinger. The first single, “Aqua Loop (feat. TEMPLIME)” won number one on the iTunes electro charts, and has since continued to release original songs, provide singing and lyrics, perform live performances, and more as a Vsinger focusing on electro music. It features an adult, sweet candy voice. On YouTube, he mainly posts music videos and cover videos of original songs. As an official partner, Twitch also holds live streaming, mainly games.
■Moriyama de Ro
Writer/edited. Born in 1988, from Nagasaki. I love Clairo and Lovely Summer.
■App overview
“AWA” is a subscription-based (flat rate) music streaming service provided by AWA Corporation, a joint investment by CyberAgent Inc. and Avex Entertainment Inc. The service began offering its service in May 2015, with 150 million songs being distributed and approximately 16 million playlists created by celebrities and users. In addition to the “FREE Plan,” which offers all functions for free, except for the “STANDARD Plan” which offers 980 yen (tax included) per month (1,080 yen (tax included) for App Store, Google Play, and convenience store payments), and the “FREE Plan,” which allows you to use all functions for free monthly, except for the “Offline Play” which offers all functions for 480 yen (tax included) per month, and the “Artist Plan,” which offers unlimited listening to certain artists for 270 yen (tax included) per month. “AWA” is compatible with a variety of devices, including smartphones, computers, TVs, car navigation systems, wearable devices, and smart speakers. Since its launch, it has expanded its various plans and functions to suit the user’s needs and viewing environment, including the “LYRIC DIVE,” a function that beautifully animates lyrics in real time to match the song, and the “AWA Lounge,” an online space where users who have added live audio streaming and gifting functions can enjoy the same music in the same space in real time, and has grown into the largest music streaming service in Japan.
Name: “AWA”https://awa.fm/
Recommended environment:
Price: STANDARD plan (980 yen incl. tax) / FREE plan (free monthly) / Student plan (480 yen incl. tax) / Artist plan (270 yen incl. tax) *Unlimited listening to one specific artist)
Available: May 27, 2015
■URL
AWA:https://awa.fm/
App Store:https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/id980578855
Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fm.awa.liverpool
Desktop app:https://awa.fm/download/
AWA Lounge Browser Version:https://app.awa.fm/lounge/
Latest AWA news:https://news.awa.fm/
AWA Official X:https://x.com/awa_official
AWA Official LINE:https://lin.ee/21w3f0k
■Company Profile
Company name: AWA Co., Ltd. (Read: AWA)
Address: Sumitomo Real Estate Azabu Juban Building, 1-4-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Togashi Akimi
Business content: Music streaming services, etc.
Established: December 1, 2014
■Contact information
AWA Public Relations Press@awa.fm
