JO1 to the world: A new stage for J-pop

CHIBA – It’s a rainy November day and young music fans are milling around the office buildings that surround Chiba’s Makuhari Messe convention center. Later in the evening, they’ll swarm the venue to see a performance by J-pop act JO1.

They’re a patient bunch, but fans in the COVID-era need to be. The 11-member JO1 (pronounced “jay-oh-one”) debuted in March 2020, right as the world was shutting down. Without stadium concerts and in-person meet-and-greets, fans had to make do with YouTube uploads and physical releases.

Tonight in Chiba marks the last date of their three-day solo debut concert “Open The Door,” originally envisioned as a nationwide tour but downsized to a trio of shows in a single venue due to COVID-19 safety protocols. It’s a full house each day, filled with fans toting official JO1 glow sticks, homemade sign boards and a lot of pent up excitement.

“Since we haven’t had the chance to see our fans for a while, this show needs to be especially strong,” JO1 member Junki Kono tells The Japan Times prior to the performance. “We want to show how we’ve matured since debuting, and we want to give something back to our fans.”

Kono and his bandmates — Takumi Kawanishi, Ren Kawashiri, Syoya Kimata, Sukai Kinjo (currently on a break to receive treatment for adjustment disorder), Issei Mamehara, Shosei Ohira, Keigo Sato, Ruki Shiroiwa, Shion Tsurubo and Sho Yonashiro — encapsulate all the pop music trends of the 2020s: the rise of televised talent competitions, the emergence of South Korean companies in the Japanese music ecosystem and a newfound interest in making it big overseas.

“Since we didn’t come out of a pre-existing system, this is the first time something like this has been done,” Kono says. “It would be great if JO1 could be remembered as a group that changed Japanese music, and opened the world’s eyes to the new culture of Japan.”