EPO’s 45th anniversary best hits live show in Tokyo and Osaka, ahead of the release of “EPOFUL” on October 1st, was a huge success! Kyodo Medias Co., Ltd. Press Release: September 23, 2025 EPO’s 45th anniversary best hits live concert in Tokyo and Osaka, leading up to the release of “EPOFUL” on October 1st, was a huge success! EPO, an artist arguably representative of the globally popular Japanese city pop, held a concert in Tokyo and Osaka to commemorate the 45th anniversary of their major label debut, “EPO Best Hit Live ~45th ANNIVERSARY PARTY!!~.” They made their major debut in 1980 and have produced hits such as “DOWN TOWN,” “Saturday Night is Paradise,” and “U-Fu-Fu-Fu.” Coupled with the recent “city pop” boom, EPO’s sophisticated pop music has also been gaining attention. Tickets for both Tokyo and Osaka were sold out.
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Just before their Tokyo concert, where 2,000 people were waiting, we conducted a direct interview with EPO as they were preparing for the show. “In my 20s, I was so busy that I struggled with singing pop songs. But I wanted to try different kinds of music while I still had my voice, so I went to London, and after returning to Japan, I started singing about the world inside my heart and was able to do a lot of different things freely as an artist. I was satisfied with that, and recently I’ve started enjoying pop music again. I enjoy singing the lyrics to “U-fu-fu-fu” so much that I feel like, ‘This could be my song now.'” She continued, “I was actually planning to do a live show for our 40th anniversary, but the COVID-19 pandemic and all sorts of other things happened so we couldn’t. But during that time I wrote a lot of songs, prepared little by little, and met people who helped me, so I’m really happy that I can do a live show like this on my 45th anniversary and that people can see me having so much fun making pop music.” She also shared her thoughts, saying, “I believe that many people who have never forgotten and have continued to support us have come to this concert. It feels like a miracle that we can all be reunited in this venue in good health after going through the COVID-19 pandemic. I currently live in Okinawa, and there is a saying that goes, “Inochi nu goshukuji sabira,” which means, “Let’s celebrate life.” People who lost so much in the war decided to celebrate the fact that they still have life and revived the performing arts. The situation is different from back then, but the fact that we were all able to gather together is a celebration for me, and I believe it is a “celebration” for everyone who came to see it as well.” When the show started, EPO appeared on stage in a white shirt, with 2,000 fans waiting, and the live performance began with “Kuchibiru Nude Sakasemasu.” After performing three songs, including “Uwasanaritai” (I Want to Be a Rumor), she greeted the audience with a smile, saying, “Everyone! Thank you for coming to the EPO Best Hits Live! To me, this place is called Shibuya Public Hall, and it’s been so long since I last sang here that I can’t even remember. But I’m so happy you all remembered me and came out looking forward to our 45th anniversary concert that I could cry!” She then performed songs such as “Parade” and “Music Like a Wind.” The band members for this performance were a distinguished lineup, including arranger and keyboardist Nobuyuki Shimizu, guitarist Yoshiyuki Sahashi, keyboardist Yutaka Hosoi and drummer Akihiko Noguchi of Sentimental City Romance, bassist Shinji Segawa, and percussionist Masaharu Sato. Shimizu and Sahashi attended the same high school as EPO (Tokyo Metropolitan Matsubara High School), with Shimizu in his third year and Sahashi in his first year when EPO was in their second year. They’ve been connected through music since high school. During the MC segment, the three shared nostalgic memories, such as when they first met, when they made a demo tape, and their first concert. They also performed “Harmony” with EPO singing, Sahashi on guitar, and Shimizu on keyboards. In the second half of the show, she sang songs from her new album “EPOFUL,” due for release on October 1st, such as “Class Reunion News Arrived” and “Gift ~ You Are Madonna” (a self-cover of a song she wrote for Toki Asako). Towards the end of the show, for “DOWN TOWN” and “Saturday Night Paradise,” the audience all stood up, clapping enthusiastically and singing along loudly, creating a sense of unity. She changed into a yellow dress midway through the set, but appeared in a white dress for the encore. She sang “Vitamin E・P・O” and “U・Fu・Fu・Fu” with the fans, shedding tears of emotion as the curtain fell on the 45th anniversary live show (Tokyo performance). The 45th anniversary album “EPOFUL,” featuring 12 songs performed at the concert, including “Notice of the Reunion Has Arrived,” “Gift ~You Are Madonna,” and a self-cover of “U-Fu-Fu-Fu,” will be released on October 1st. The album is a “pops album for adults,” and EPO herself is so confident in it that she says, “If I were an EPO fan, this is the kind of music I would want to listen to. I selected 12 songs from an enormous number of songs, including ones I made during the coronavirus pandemic. I’ve included a self-cover of “U-Fu-Fu-Fu,” and I think this is my best work yet, so please give it a listen.” New album “EPOFUL” The deluxe 32-page booklet features photography and artwork by Leslie Kee Release date: October 1, 2025 XQGR-1005 Regular price: ¥3,630 (excluding tax: ¥3,300) Included songs 1. U-fu-fu-fu 2. I’m not crying 3. Melancholy lost love 4. I want to make you regret it 5. My prince won’t come for me 6. News of the class reunion arrived 7. Tea, cake, and love stories 8. Something’s wrong 9. Say Goodbye to the Pain of Love 10 Gift ~You Are Madonna~ 11. The Unstoppable Train of Life 12. Alone in Silence Official homepage
https://www.eponica.net/ (Promotion: Kyodo Medias) (Photography: GEKKO)
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