Live Nation is organizing a run of shows throughout early 2026 featuring some of the biggest names in Japan’s City Pop genre. Focusing on three artists, select US cities will have access to some of the nation’s most prolific artists whose legacy remains blatantly clear across music today. With the first of the scheduled shows beginning in mid-February, prep time is running out for audiences in the West who typically have to wait years between such performances.
Taeko Onuki
Taeko Onuki is a pioneer among solo female acts of the 70’s music scene in Japan. After the disbandment of her band Sugar Babes, Onuki launched her solo career with the smash hit “Grey Skies.” She’d go on to release roughly 30 additional albums in the years following, all the way up until this year, 2025, releasing a live album by the name of “Peter and Friends.” A wonderfully intriguing voice lures you into her music riddled big bands, backup vocalist groups, and experimental synths. Her voice beautifully jumps and falls between ranges of notes in a roller coaster of sound and emotion.
Onuki will be performing in Los Angeles, CA on February 7th, 2026.
Masayoshi Takanaka
Masayoshi Takanaka is a guitarist whose albums have become a bit of a cultural phenomena. Known for his tropical, upbeat plucking and sticky-head melodies that have you singing along to the rhythm, or the chance words you’re able to make out. I walk around the house singing ‘pa-papaya’ along to the track “BRASILIAN SKIES,” anytime it comes on and for hours after. His guitar playing has made a lasting impression on not just the city pop scene, but the music scene in general, as his genre freeflows through a pop, psychedelic funk/jazz fusion grey zone. “BREEZIN'” is the track that I believe introduced me to him, and it is great, very pretty rises echoed through the back of the song with a lively, jumping drum track, electric warbly guitar, and a soothing pulse of synth keys that blends into a track perfect for sampling the discography. If you like it, there’s a lot more where it came from on his roughly 20 studio albums.
Takanaka will be performing a run of two shows in the UK before jumping the pond for six additional shows across the US. The dates range from Mar 31st - Apr 13th, 2026 while hitting London, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and ending in Los Angeles.
Anri
Anri is best known for her 1983 release “Timely!!” characterized by her strong voice, big brass sections boosting her sound, and a very ‘full’ album with backup singers and string sections throughout. It culminates into an album that felt like an event, a full-scale production, a collaboration of minds and music to make a no skip album that became one of the most iconic of the genre. Featuring hits like “Remember Summer Days,” “I CAN’T STOP THE LONELINESS,” and “WINDY SUMMER,” the album is a powerhouse of music. Anri herself has such a wonderful voice and a strength to show restraint as to not overuse her gift; balancing very well in communicative verses before belting out choruses. She is an artist to be enamored by as she has seemingly never stopped releasing music to her fanbase as she currently sits at over 40 studio albums with her latest full-length album being from 2018, and her latest single being from this year, 2025. She is a hard-working uber talented individual who puts on an amazing performance.
Anri will perform in New York, NY on May 17th, and Los Angeles, CA on May 20th & 21st, 2026.
Be sure to check out Live Nation’s City Pop Waves tour series throughout early 2026 to not miss some of the best talent of the genre. These three artists are titans of their industry and getting spoiled by such talent is a rare event to be a part of.
