Asia News: Rock In Japan Moves; K-pop Split Loyalties; Clapton Returns To Budokan

JAPAN

More Changes To Rock In Japan

At the end of September, Rockin’ On magazine, the organizers of Japan’s biggest summer music festival, Rock In Japan, announced that it would actually move the dates for the event out of summer and into early fall.

An article in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said on Nov. 1 that the reasons include climate change, and that the organizers are concerned for the attendees’ health, thus “[complicating] tactics for management.” For the past five years or so, temperatures throughout Japan in August have continually set new records.

Consequently, arrangements are now being made to hold the festival for five days next year between Sept. 13 and Sept. 21, on weekends and national holidays, at the Soga Sports Park in the city of Chiba, a suburb to the east of Tokyo. The full schedule will be announced in January.

It will be the fourth time Rock in Japan will take place in Chiba. Traditionally, the site for the festival was Hitachi Seaside Park, a public facility in Ibaraki Prefecture, about 90 minutes north of Tokyo, where the festival was held from 2000-19. Though Chiba seems to have become the permanent home, the organizers say they hope to hold the festival in Ibaraki again for the 30th anniversary.

Split K-pop Loyalties

Two K-pop groups that used to be one will be competing for the attention of Japanese fans with a series of shows that overlap.

The two-member TVXQ, a veteran K-pop boy band that has been popular in Japan for years, is holding a series of 7 sold-out arena concerts comprising 3 cities to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its Japan debut between Nov. 29 and Dec. 15.

At the same time as TVXQ is performing in Hiroshima, the new duo JX, which consists of two former members of TVXQ, will launch their inaugural Japan tour on Dec. 14-15 at the Belluna Dome in Tokyo.

Though fans of TVXQ are not necessarily miffed about missing JX, they have expressed displeasure online that JX’s announced setlist is dominated by TVXQ songs.

The enmity has been simmering for years. TVXQ was formed in 2003, and in 2009, three members sued the group’s management company, SM Entertainment, in a bid to terminate their contracts, saying that the conditions of the contract were unfair in terms of payment.

In the end, the dispute was settled to the benefit of the three members. They went on to form a separate boy band called JYJ, which became quite active in Japan until 2015, when all three enlisted for mandatory military service.

In 2018, one member, Park Yoo-chun, left the group after having been accused by multiple women of sexual assault. Though he was eventually exonerated, Park was compelled to pay a settlement to one plaintiff through mediation. Later, he was also accused of drug use and tax evasion. Then, earlier this year, the two remaining members of JYJ, Kim Jae-joong and Xia Jun-su, announced they were forming a new duo.

Because JYJ violated the taboo against leaving one’s management at the time, they were effectively blackballed from performing in Korea (though they could pursue other forms of employment in the entertainment field), but their popularity in Japan remained solid. TVXQ never lost their popularity in Japan even though they were reduced to only two members.

Eric Clapton Returns To Budokan

Eric Clapton has announced he will play six dates at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo next year: April 14, 16, 18, 19, 21 and 24.

Clapton has made a habit of doing residencies every few years at the storied Japanese martial arts venue. Tickets go on sale Dec. 14.