In the preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Japan is aiming to go beyond just sports and share its culture with the world, and this gives rise to the new program “NHK WORLD-JAPAN presents SONGS OF TOKYO“. As the title suggested, this program mainly targeting international audiences will be showcasing pop-cultural artistes representing the music of modern-days Japan. Due to the overwhelming global response after the first-round broadcast of the program earlier in January 2018, a second round was held whereby the featured artistes and pop-cultural units performed before a live audience in Shibuya’s NHK Hall on 11 ~ 12 November 2018. This live performance was filmed and will officially be released for a delayed broadcast via both NHK WORLD Japan Channel at a latter date.

©NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

For this second round of the program, Musical “Touken Ranbu” – the popular musical adaptation production of hit browser/mobile game by Nitroplus and DMM Games – is getting a special feature, with 12 selected members of the casts from three different past musical productions performing! These 12 selected cast members will form a special unit just for the “Songs of Tokyo” representation – called the ‘Team Touken-danshi (i.e. ‘sword warriors) Formation of TOKYO’..

© Musical Touken Ranbu / DMM Games ・Nitroplus ©NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
© Musical Touken Ranbu / DMM Games ・Nitroplus ©NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

‘Team Touken-danshi Formation of TOKYO’ will be made up of these cast-members (pictured above; from top left):

  • Mario Kuroba as Mikazuki Munechika
  • Tsubasa Sakiyama as Ishikirimaru
  • Daichi Saeki as Iwatooshi
  • Shunya Ohira as Imanotsurugi
  • Ryuji Satou as Kashu Kiyomitsu
  • Yuki Torigoe as Yamatonokami Yasusada
  • Shotaro Arisawa as Izuminokami Kanesada
  • Shogo Sakamoto as Horikawa Kunihiro
  • Yu Imari as Nagasone Kotetsu
  • Kensuke Takahashi as Hachisuga Kotetsu
  • Hiroki Miura as Higekiri
  • Akira Takano as Hizamaru

The 12 will be performing a special medley of songs featured in the various musical productions, namely:

  1. ‘Touken Ranbu’ Main Theme (circa. 2016~2018)
  2. Futatsu no Kiseki~Tonari~ (circa. 2017)
  3. Yumehitotsu (circa. 2016)
  4. Beautiful Life!! (circa. 2017)
  5. Kemono (circa. 2017~2018)

The other featured artistes and units performing together with ‘Team Touken-danshi Formation of TOKYO’ on 11 November 2018 live-showcase and filming were Eir Aoi, [ALEXANDROS], GARNiDELiA, Keyakizaka46, Hiroyuki Sawano[nZk], and NEWS. Artistes and units performing on 12 November 2018 were Sayuri Ishikawa, Maaya Uchida, KANJANI∞, Golden Bomber, DA PUMP, Nogizaka46, and Daichi Miura.

The re-broadcast of the performances filmed from 11~12 October 2018 will be split into 4 parts and these are scheduled to be screened via NHK World JAPAN’s channel on:

  • Part 1 – 17 November 2018
  • Part 2 – 18 November 2018
  • Part 3 – 24 November 2018
  • Part 4 – 25 November 2018

 

Source: Oricon News Online