It was with a mix of joy and sadness that we reunited with the idol group Fragrant Drive for their very last concert on July 20th at Shibuya WWW. We first met them at the end of January and instantly fell under the charm of their colorful and cheerful universe, which we introduced to you in our discovery article. After celebrating their 3rd anniversary with a dedicated concert on April 29th in Shibuya, the six members invited their fans for one final performance filled with emotion.
Yukka returned to France for the third consecutive year. After catching attention at Japan Expo 2023 and then at Japan Touch 2024 in Lyon, she came back for the 2025 edition of Japan Expo, where she accompanied festivalgoers throughout all four days of the event. This independent Japanese singer-songwriter, with a style blending J-Pop and J-Rock, began her career in 2020. She quickly stood out thanks to her eclectic sound and her genuine stage presence. This year, she was in Paris as part of her "Yukka in France TOUR" which ran from July 3 to 9. Yukka mainly performed on the Tsubamé stage, delivering several live sets while playing her guitar. For one of her two showcases, she wore an elegant blue yukata. She offered a selection of her most iconic songs, including Destiny (from her album STAGE5), Mad Science, 有罪のプロセキューター (Yuzai no Prosecutor), her latest single released on June 29, 君は1度きりの短い夜に消えた (Kimi wa 1-do kiri no mijikai yoru ni kieta), and Logic Gutter. Her down-to-earth personality and desire to connect with the audience, especially through her efforts to speak in English and even occasionally in French, made a lasting impression.
The 2025 edition of Japan Expo once again welcomed a group now well known to both the French public and Bonjour Idol: Banzai Japan, celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the group returned for their eighth appearance at an event in France. Their continued presence is a clear sign of their strong bond with the French audience, something quite rare in the international idol scene. Appearing in full force with ten members over all four days of the festival, they performed on all the major music stages: Kamo, Tsubamé, and Ichigo. They also held signing sessions on Thursday and Friday, giving fans valuable moments of close interaction.
Among the biggest names of Japan Expo 2025 in France, Jiemei stood out as one of the most anticipated and talked-about idol groups of the festival. Lucky for fans and curious ones alike, the members of Jiemei graced the event for all four days, electrifying the Tsubamé, Ichigo and Kamo stages.
It was with great excitement and joy that we had the chance to attend Broken By The Scream’s one and only performance at Japan Expo in Paris, on Friday, July 4, on the Tsubamé stage. To build up the anticipation, we had even published a short guide to help newcomers discover the group. They had already performed in France, but this was their first time at Japan Expo. Let’s dive into this live report! They performed nearly six songs on the festival’s music stage. Since it was their only appearance, a large crowd had gathered well before the show started, just to make sure they wouldn’t miss them.
Entrepreneur, cosplayer, idol, model… Misa is a multi-talented artist driven by one goal: to connect Japan with the rest of the world, more specifically through otaku culture. She wants to build cultural bridges, bring people together, and spread a bit of happiness through Japanese pop culture, as she told us in our last interview. And Japan Expo is the perfect place for that. On-site, we witnessed her incredible dedication firsthand. Her drive to do things right, her efforts to speak English, and her overwhelming passion for connecting with others make her instantly endearing at every opportunity. We also have to mention her idol outfit, which was both cute and elegant.
On Bonjour Idol, we first published a discovery article, followed by a long interview with HATE and TEARS to anticipate their first visit to Europe, at the 2025 edition of Japan Expo, Paris, which took place over four days, from July 3 et July 6. Naturally, it was with great pleasure that we finally saw them on site: first to meet them, then to bring you some shots that we hope are worthy of their incredible performances on the various stages offered by the festival. Let’s dive into this live report! Throughout the four days of Japan Expo, they didn’t miss a single opportunity to shake the speakers with their electro-pop style.
You’ll Melt More! turned the page on the final chapter of their You’ll Melt More! Tour 2025 “Phoenix Fire Drum Mandala Pilgrimage” with a spirited 18-song performance at Shimo-Kitazawa Shangri-La on March 30, 2025. It was a fiery conclusion to the first tour for the group since the addition of new members Raki and Makoto nearly a year earlier.
We are thrilled to finally introduce Next⭐︎Rico on BONJOUR IDOL! We first mentioned them in our article about the taiban event Mirai-kei Aidoru Special Live, available here – but rather than just scraping the surface through an event featuring multiple idol groups, we wanted to give them a proper introduction. Originally set to debut in early 2020, their launch was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They finally debuted in late July of that same year, under the name Stand Up! Next. In November 2021, the group rebranded and became Next⭐︎Rico, as they are known today. The group is produced by former Afilia Saga and Junjou no Afilia member Aomi Maho, who also became part of the lineup starting from 2024 with the group’s second generation.
Having Japanese artists perform in Paris is still rare, and fans are always eagerly awaiting the next ones. Recently, many Japanese artists have come to perform in France, thanks to the country’s biggest festival dedicated to Japanese culture: Japan Expo. Among them, four artists set the stages on fire during Japan Expo Sud in Marseille on February 21, 22, and 23. We Named BANZAI JAPAN, UK, ALL IN, and Kang Minsu!