City Pop Waves: Japanese Icons Masayoshi Takanaka, Junko Yagami and Himiko Kikuchi Wow London Crowd

City Pop Waves brought the United Kingdom’s first-ever city pop concert to South London’s Crystal Palace Park, featuring performances by Japanese artists Masayoshi Takanaka, Junko Yagami, and Himiko Kikuchi during the 12-day Palace Bowl Presents open-air festival, according to reporting from Billboard Japan.

The festival event showcased a genre-spanning lineup across July and August, anchoring its programming with a dedicated showcase of Japanese city pop. Performing under the afternoon sun, Himiko Kikuchi opened the City Pop Waves bill at the Crystal Palace Bowl. Wearing round-lensed sunglasses, she took her seat at a Hammond organ to deliver an opening rendition of “Ducky Ducky,” as reported by Billboard Japan.

Kikuchi’s performance drew from her 1977 album FLYING BEAGLE, featuring refined ensemble work across piano, keyboards, guitar, and horns. Billboard Japan noted that the set sparked chants from attendees shouting “Fluffy!” and “Himiko! Himiko!” before closing with “Look Your Back!”

Junko Yagami Brings Environmental Themes to London Stage

Junko Yagami followed with a four-song set that bridged classic repertoire with contemporary commentary, according to Billboard Japan. Addressing the audience in English, Yagami performed “TERRA – here we will stay,” an eleven-minute composition written during the pandemic that addresses global warming and conflict.

“We say ‘no’ to war,” Yagami stated to the London crowd, as quoted by Billboard Japan, adding that the track was written for her grandchild’s future following the recent birth of her grandchild. The performance included English lyrics and imagery displayed on screen, resonating with festivalgoers who had traveled from locations including the Netherlands.

Masayoshi Takanaka Headlines City Pop Showcase

Headliner Masayoshi Takanaka closed out the program with a dynamic set featuring his signature guitar work, opening with “BRASILIAN SKIES,” according to Billboard Japan. Takanaka integrated extended solos and communal arrangements, later returning for an encore with his red surfboard guitar to perform “JUMPING TAKE OFF.”

During the performance, Takanaka announced an upcoming appearance at Wembley for the following year, before concluding the roughly two-hour concert with “YOU CAN NEVER COME TO THIS PLACE.” According to Billboard Japan, the event demonstrated the enduring international appeal of retro Japanese sounds across multiple generations of listeners.