Mrs. GREEN APPLE presents CEREMONY — the new entertainment experience curated by the three-man band where fashion, music, and culture converge — unfolded over two days, at K Arena Yokohama in Kanagawa, Japan on June 10 and 11. VIP seats with a dress code drew prominent guests from across industries, who joined a sold-out crowd in sharing the joy of music transcending genre.
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Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s Motoki Ohmori (Vo./Gt.), Hiloto Wakai (Gt.), and Ryoka Fujisawa (Key.) took the stage in elaborately conceived looks each night. With the “Hero’s Journey” as their fashion theme, Day 1 drew inspiration from The Wizard of Oz and Day 2 from the Japanese folktale Momotaro. In his opening remarks, Ohmori articulated the event’s essence: “This isn’t a festival, or a joint show, or an awards ceremony. We’ll simply encounter each other’s cultures and enjoy sound, without competition or rivalry. That’s what I want to offer again, together with everyone in this room.” Those words became the guiding concept for both evenings.
s**t kingz delivered the world premiere of “slow burn,” released that very day. asmi, appearing three years after her collaboration with MGA on “Blue Ambience,” expressed her gratitude before delivering a confessional performance of new track “Tokyo Tower.” Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu ignited the arena with an ebullient, frills-and-cuteness performance, and a moment during “chosaikyo” drew wide smiles all around as the group surrounded the three MGA members. ORANGE RANGE threw the venue into full summer mode with “Shanghai Honey” and “Ikenai Taiyou,” with the other artists waving along in the frenzy.
AI’s set was nothing short of breathtaking. During an acoustic rendition of “Happiness,” the house lights came up and the entire arena transformed into one enormous choir. “I cried,” said Fujisawa after the set. “AI’s voice is so powerful, and yet her warmth and gentleness come through so clearly.” TOMORROW X TOGETHER followed with “Stick With You” and “I’ll See You There Tomorrow” before performing “Force,” a song penned by Ohmori. The crowd erupted when the five members descended from the stage and walked through the artists’ lounge section, culminating in a face-to-face moment between them and Ohmori at the front of the stage.
Among the VIP attendees were top Japanese athletes including table tennis national team member Tomokazu Harimoto, swimmer Yui Ohashi, and skateboarder Coco Yoshizawa. “Music gives me energy and courage,” said Harimoto. “Before an important match, I always listen to Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s songs.” It was a vivid reminder of just how powerfully music fuels even the world of competitive sport.
Day 2 opened with Mone Kamishiraishi, who quietly began her set a cappella with “Nandemonaiya,” the theme from the animated film Your Name. For her rendition of “Memento Mori,” Ohmori’s solo release that was later adapted into a picture book, the storybook world spread across the video screens as her light, tender voice enveloped the hall. Necry Talkie powered through “Hokujou no Susume” and “Oshare Daisakusen” on a thunderous band sound, before unveiling a new track “Yokeina Koto,” showcasing a band fully hitting their stride. Singer-songwriter Ami Sakaguchi opened up about posting a MGA cover to social media in her second year of middle school, then delivered a stripped-back solo performance of “Hadaka.” When FRUITS ZIPPER launched into “Watashi no Ichiban Kawaiitokoro,” Ohmori, watching from a round table, instinctively leaped to his feet and started dancing at the very first notes of the intro.
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE sparked a headbanging storm with “Shimi,” dramatically shifting the tone of two days of refined flavors into something like “thick, rich, and extra-heavy” ramen. Drummer Nao’s line, “This is MGA’s tasting session. Don’t knock it before you try it,” drew a wave of laughter, and the closing number “Koi no Mega Lover(CEREMONY edit)” dragged the entire arena into a wall of thunderous sound. K-pop boy band TWS performed three songs including their Japanese debut single “Hajimemashite,” delighting the crowd with fluid choreography and fresh vocals and building anticipation toward the finale.
Ayami Nakajo, who served as emcee during both days, delivered the closing address in the form of a letter. “For me, music is the grand orchestra of the movie called life. I’m certain that music is always present at each person’s ceremony, and that going forward, many different songs will continue to color our lives. Today, in this very moment, I encountered that greatest of orchestras.” Her words resonated deeply throughout the venue.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE closed both nights. Sharing several songs across the two setlists — “ANTENNA,” “Wind and Town,” “Heaven,” “GOOD DAY” — the band seemed to absorb the accumulated energy of every artist who’d performed that day, and their sets carried an almost uncanny intensity. The performance of “Heaven” on Day 2 in particular became a defining moment, as if Ohmori were channeling the passion of every act that had come before him.
“To create things, being creative, being someone who express things… it’s a profoundly lonely endeavor,” he reflected in his closing remarks on Day 2. ”It’s about how many times you doubt yourself and then believe in yourself again. But beyond logic and beyond irony, I felt in the deepest part of my heart that music really is the greatest thing there is. My heart was fuller than any victory could make it, and the frustration cut deeper than any defeat. That’s the CEREMONY we made.” For the finale, the three members of Mrs. GREEN APPLE stepped away from their microphones and called out in their own unamplified voices: “See you again at next year’s CEREMONY!” — and with that, two extraordinary evenings came to a close.
Not a festival, not a joint show, not an awards ceremony — CEREMONY was a singular entertainment experience all its own. Its concept was realized to perfection across two days of purely shared joy in music.
—This article by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan
