KISS in Japanese art

The American rock band KISS are currently on tour in Japan.
(I wrote a post about their Japan tour of 2015 here.)

KISS are doing many unique, only-in-Japan promotions while they are here.
Among them is the 「KISS激辛チリトマトまん」 (“KISS Spicy Chili Tomato Buns”):

Available in Japan now for a limited time!

These are delicious! If you’re in Japan, try them!  They were first available in Japan when KISS toured here in 2013.  Here’s the similar ad that was run then:

They were introduced to Japan in October 2013.

Now, KISS has commissioned Japanese artists to make unique artwork that combines KISS’s Japan-inspired images with traditional Japanese art:

A professional Japanese 書道 (calligraphy) artist wrote the KISS logo and the band members’ personas in Japanese kanji. (They were signed by the band members too).

A professional Japanese 浮世絵 (ukiyoe woodblock print) artist made two prints showing the KISS band members as samurai in one, and samurai battling Japanese monsters in the other.

Here is a YouTube video showing the ukiyoe artist carving the woodblock to make the KISS ukiyoe prints:

KISS Japan Tour 2015 goods

KISS is on their way to Japan now to begin their 2015 Japan tour on Monday.
(Click here to see my post about the announcement of this tour, the tour dates, and their special guests for the Tokyo Dome show).

The T-shirts and other merchandise that KISS will be selling for their shows in Japan have been revealed.

I like towels from concerts. These types of towels are unique to Japan, aren’t they?

Click here to see the page with the complete list of official KISS Japan Tour 2015 merchandise (Japanese only).

KISS Treasure Palace & rock photo exhibit

Last month there was a “KISS 秘宝館” (“KISS Treasure Palace“) temporarily in Osaka, Japan before the upcoming KISS Japan Tour 2015.

I wondered why it was only in Osaka. But my friend told me that it’s scheduled to be in Tokyo too.

The “KISS 秘宝館” (KISS Treasure Palace)

The “KISS 秘宝館” (“KISS Treasure Palace“) will be in Tokyo, Japan from Wednesday, February 4th – Sunday, February 8th; open until 5:30PM each day.

The address is:
有楽町朝日ギャラリー
東京都千代田区有楽町2－5－1　有楽町マリオン11階
(Yurakucho Asahi Gallery
Yurakucho, Tokyo 2-5-1 Yurakucho-Marion 11F)

Admission is free.

And…

there is also an exhibit of rock photographs  in Tokyo by Koh Hasebe of Japan’s “Music Life rock magazine.

KISS on the cover of Japan’s “Music Life” magazine.

This exhibit is also free.

It’s from now until Wednesday, February 11th (a Japanese holiday).

The location is:
“B-Gallery” on the 6th Floor of the “Beams Store”
3-32-6 Shinjuku, Tokyo

A photo of KISS in Japan taken in the late ’70s by photographer Koh Hasebe .

The photographer, Koh Hasebe (l), and original Music Life Editor-in-Chief Kaoruko Togo.

 

KISS Shrine Lanterns

Udo Music Promoters, the Japanese company in charge of organizing and promoting the upcoming KISS Japan Tour 2015 (My post about it) has put up many billboards and flyers around Japan about the KISS concerts, they’ve also had KISS on Japanese TV programs.
Those are normal for concert promotion.

But sometimes Udo Music will do something unique and unusual to promote a band.
For example, before the 2013 KISS Japan Tour, there were “KISS Spicy Niku-man” dumplings available at convenience stores here. (They were delicious!)

Well, often when shrines in Japan have a festival, there will be rows of 提灯 (Japanese paper lanterns) with the names of companies, organizations and individuals who made monetary contributions to the shrine.

Rows and rows of 提灯 with contributors’ names printed on them at the “Mitama Festival” at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

They’re a very common sight in Japan.

But what is unusual is the Udo Music has arranged to have two KISS 提灯 (Japanese paper lanterns) at a festival at the famous 「今宮戎神社」 (“Ima-Miya-Ebisu Shrine”) in Osaka, Japan!

One says “Gene Simmons” and the other says “Paul Stanley“.

They say 「ジーン・シモンズ」 (“Gene Simmons” (l)) and 「ポール・スタンレー」 (“Paul Stanley” (r)).

I don’t know if Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley made contributions to the shrine, or if Udo Music made the contribution in their names…but either way, these lanterns are cool!
I want them!
I wish they were at a shrine in Tokyo rather than on the other side of the country in Osaka!

Hey, Ima-Miya-Ebisu Shrine, after the festival, give me those lanterns, please!

KISS vs Momoiro Clover Z song titles announced

As I mentioned last month (in this post), the American hard rock band KISS and the Japanese pop band Momoiro Clover Z are collaborating on two songs.

KISS vs ももいろクローバーZ

My friend Masa just told me that the titles of the songs (which will be released on 2015 January 28th) have just been announced.

Momoiro Clover Z will release a CD with a song titled 「夢の浮世に咲いてみな」. It will feature Momoiro Clover on vocals and KISS playing the music.
And KISS will release a CD with a song titled “Samurai Son” which will have KISS singing and playing the music, and Momoiro Clover on singing the chorus!

KISS x Momoiro Clover

Where to start this post?

Thirteen months ago, KISS (an American rock band that I’m a big fan of) played some shows in Japan.
My friend and I saw their 2013 October 20th show. (I wrote a post with photos here about it).

I have seen KISS in concert many times, actually…and it’s always been a great show!

Well, it’s been officially announced that KISS are returning to Japan in about three months!

KISS Japan Tour 2015 flyer

The Japan tour dates are:
2015 Feb 23 – Nagoya
2015 Feb 25 – Osaka
2015 Feb 26 – Hiroshima
2015 Feb 28 – Sendai
2015 Mar 3 – Tokyo (at the Tokyo Dome)

A surprising fact about the March 3rd date at the Tokyo Dome is that KISS will have the Japanese band “Momoiro Clover Z” as the opening act.
First of all, many concerts in Japan have no opening act at all. KISS almost never does for their shows in Japan.
But more surprising is that this band, Momoiro Clover Z, though popular in Japan…is a J-pop band!
They have, though, played at “OzzFest Japan” last spring (which I saw). I was surprised that they were at OzzFest…and now I’m surprised again that they’ll be sharing a stage with KISS!

Momoiro Clover Z have also collaborated with heavy metal guitarist Marty Friedman (who lives in Tokyo) on one song, and on another with heavy metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen.
And now, Momoiro Clover Z and KISS will not only sharing a bill at the Tokyo Dome…but the two bands will be releasing a collaboration song on 2015 January 28th.
This song featuring American hard rock band KISS and Japanese pop band Momoiro Clover will be released internationally on i-tunes…and on two CDs in Japan (an official KISS CD and a Momoiro-Clover one).

KISS with Japanese pop band “Momoiro-Clover Z”

 

Autumn Sky Tree

Last weekend we went to the Tokyo Sky Tree.

(We didn’t go inside the tower. I have done that before).

The Sky Tree is illuminated at night in various colors every evening.
When we went it was lit up orange for the start of autumn.

We did go in the adjacent 「空町」 (“Sola-machi“) (lit. “Sky City“) shopping center.

Drinks in a traditional Japanese candy store.

Retro Japanese toys.

Japan’s “Hello Kitty” meets American rock band “KISS”.

From there, we walked to the nearby neighborhood of Asakusa.

「みくじ　百円」 (“Fortunes, ¥100”)

Featured on KISS Online

Yesterday morning I was watching the Japanese morning TV program 「めざましテレビ」  (“Mezamashi TV“) as I do every morning while I get ready for work…when suddenly KISS was on the show to promote their new album “KISS 40“!

Of course I took a photo of my TV screen and tweeted it.

It got many re-tweets. Even KISS‘s official twitter account re-tweeted my photo!

And, KISSonline.com, their official homepage, put my photo on the KISS site.

My photo on KISSonline.com

Thanks NaoKISS for telling me about it.

Yesterday was a ‘metal’ day!

Yesterday after work, my wife and daughters met me at Shibuya Station.

They had bought a number of gifts for me!

Among them was the current issue of Tokyo Journal magazine with Gene Simmons on the cover dressed like a samurai:

and the Classic Rock magazine with the members of KISS on the cover wearing business suits (like an updated version of their “Dressed To Kill” album cover):

It came with two compilation CDs.

From there, we went to a ramen restaurant for dinner and then headed to the “O-East” club for the reason we were there…to see the Skid Row “United World Rebellion: Chapter One” concert!

I did an interview with bassist Rachel Bolan last month about this concert, among other things.

After that interview, the members of Skid Row kindly gave my family and I guest tickets to their Tokyo show that included special seating…and backstage passes to meet the band after the show!

It was a great show!  They played songs like “Let’s Go” and “Kings of Demolition” from their new album, as well as their classics such as “Slave To The Grind“, “18 And Life” , “I Remember You“, and of course “Youth Gone Wild” !

My wife had also bought a few 色紙 (Japanese paper boards) that are sometimes used for autographs, which the band signed for us.

My wife, our daughters and I all had an excellent time and were treated like V.I.P.s by the members of Skid Row!

Thank you Rachel Bolan, Scotti Hill, Dave “Snake” Sabo, Johnny Solinger and Rob Hammersmith!

KISS Charity T-shirt

KISS and Hard Rock Cafe have a collaboration T-shirt and pin to help the City Of Hope charity.

Here’s the YouTube video to promote it: