It is almost time for another edition of Japan Expo Paris and that means we will highlight a selection of musical artists that we think you should not miss out on. Just like every year, many artists will again take to the various stages of the French event, which is scheduled to take place from 13 July to 16 July at Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, so be sure to check out the Japan Expo Paris website to inspire yourself and, above all, to start scheduling as it promises to be a packed event. Here is our list of recommendations.
Wings of Artemis
Inspired by Greek mythology, idol group Wings of Artemis made their stage debut in November 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. With the mission to bring love, courage and friendship to this world full of chaos, they have released several singles and a full-length album. The group will have several showcases and signing sessions during Japan Expo Paris, plus there is a fan meeting scheduled on 13 July and a 45-minute concert where they will share the stage with BANZAI JAPAN, and U&Pia on the last day of Japan Expo. — Recommended by Francisca
Yuzu Natsumi & Ikumi Togawa
Thinking about classical Japanese music, one of the first things that comes to mind for many is the string instrument called shamisen. And if that applies to you too it might be a nice experience to see Yuzu Natsumi perform live on that very instrument. While watching the show you can experience some wonderful traditional dance performed by Ikumi Togawa and those pair very well together. If you want to experience Japanese culture from a different angle check them out! — Recommended by Lecros
Yukka
Yukka is no unknown name, she has been highlighted several times on AVO Magazine. After the possibility to perform in the United States and the United Kingdom, singer-songwriter Yukka finally got the chance to go to France to perform at Japan Expo Paris. The musician is a self-producing multi-talented musician and is known for doing street performances. During the 2023 edition of Japan Expo Paris, she will give several showcases, join a game show and will also have a couple of signing sessions throughout the event. — Recommended by Francisca
Vicke Blanka
Chances are his name won’t be unfamilair to you, having made a popular opening song to Black Clover. Smooth deep notes with catchy high parts in the chorus to get you energized & a nice instrumental with band instruments, an electronic beat and/or keys. He has a variety of different songs with various different vibes and some of them also feature French language which makes him a uniquely good fit for an event like Japan Expo Paris. This multi-talented musician does it all, so one thing you can be sure off is that you will have a great time when you stop by. Check out his show on the Friday afternoon and if you would like to see more of his other sides check out if he is just as talented in the kitchen with cooking youtuber Gastronogeek on Saturday morning. — Recommended by Lecros
U&Pia
This year, Japan Expo Paris has invited several idol groups to perform, including dance and vocal boyband U&Pia. This self-produced group links Japanese pop and Korean pop, coming up with and performing everything themselves from concepts, songs, costumes to marketing. Last December, the group made their debut and have grown from five group members to seven. They will have several showscases and signing sessions, including a performance where they share the stage with Wings of Artemis and BANZAI JAPAN. — Recommended by Francisca
Sakurazaka46
One of the great parts of seeing an Idol group perform is seeing how in sync they perform. And in several of their performance videos you can see that they have nailed this (for example the live performance of Dead end). Aside from that all the members look really cute and they have the dance moves to match. And if that’s something you like seeing Sakurazaka46, until 2020 active under the name Keyakizaka46, will be a great experience. This will be the first time that they perform outside of Japan so if you check them out you can be part of their Western debut. — Recommended by Lecros
Sera Amagi
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Tokyo, singer-songwriter Sera Amagi makes music she characterises as ethnic fantasy, connecting elements of world music with an ode to Japanese culture. In her career, she has released five albums and six singles. Sera Amagi debuted as a guest vocalist on FATE GEAR’s Killers in the Sky Part 2 (they are touring Europe very soon). For her shows at Japan Expo Paris, she will bring her guitarist Yuukineko with her to share a bit of their mystical world. The showcases are scheduled for 14, 15 and 16 July. — Recommended by Francisca
Yoshiki
He is known for being part of the legendary group X Japan (often credited for being the start of Visual Kei) but even when performing alone he can fill up the stage with his wonderful voice and piano accompaniment. As a solo performer Yoshiki focuses more on classical music and he has some beautifully written songs written to share the emotions and thoughts to deal with the grief of losing his mother. With these songs he made a return to performing and at Japan Expo he will give you guys a preview of what you can expect from his World Tour later in the year. If you’re interested in seeing a living legend of Japanese music be sure to check Yoshiki out and if you can’t keep a look out for his tour: Yoshiki Classical 10th Anniversary World Tour with Orchestra 2023 “REQUIEM”. — Recommended by Lecros
KAGURAMUSOU
They attended Japan Expo Paris last year for several shows and this year KAGURAMUSOU will return for another set of performances. This band can be best described as a metal band with the agressive heavy sounds that combines the beautiful sounds of Japanese traditional instruments. They started touring the world in 2022 and until now they have performed 13 concerts in countries as France, Thailand, Poland and Japan, and for some of the shows (including Japan Expo Paris) they brought Marty Friedman with them as he has collaborated on the song Mystery Road, which was the themesong for the movie Kaiki Taxi. — Recommended by Francisca
Paris Sanshin Club & London Okinawa Sanshinkai
Earlier we mentioned the Shamisen but there is another traditional Japanese instrument being featured this weekend: the Sanshin, this is an instrument deeply rooted in Okinawan culture (The tropical island region at the bottom of Japan). Matching the tropical climate it evokes a feeling of a warm life near the beach. This instrument is often used to guide the Eisa dance where they traditionally dance while drumming on Taiko to pay tribute to the deceased. This performance might be a bit different than what you may expect from Japanese music but don’t let that discourage you to experience the culture from another perspective. — Recommended by Lecros
Many more musicians will be performing on Japan Expo Paris, be sure to check out the website of the expo to get informed about all the musicians performing.
