Japan wanted a cultural do-over. Ado gave it one.

Japan Times

18-04-2025

For a minute there, it looked like J-pop singer Ado wasn't going to take the stage at Expo '25.
On April 13, the opening day of the 2025 Osaka Expo, Mother Nature had other plans. Sheets of rain and howling winds pummeled Yumeshima, the artificial island hosting the international event, turning it into something resembling a wet wind tunnel. Hundreds of visitors — who had come from across Japan and beyond — scrambled for shelter. The food halls were packed. The arcades were packed. Even vending machine nooks became refuge zones for people who looked like they'd just barely survived a typhoon. The last place anyone wanted to be? The outdoor Matsuri arena, where Ado's big performance was supposed to happen.
But right as the clock crept toward the show's 7:45 p.m. start, the weather pulled back. The rain stopped. The wind calmed down. A crisp chill lingered, but the atmosphere was undeniably better. The arena started to fill, and by the time the glowing blue cube on stage lit up — housing the night's star — the 16,000-capacity venue felt full. A silhouette appeared. Ado had arrived.
She opened with 'Shin Jidai' (New Genesis),' a fitting choice for the 22-year-old singer, who was one of those tasked with bringing the world's attention to Osaka once again. (That job went to the NHK Symphony Orchestra and a chorus of dancing children in 1970, the first time Japan hosted a world's fair.)
The weekend's entertainment wasn't just about giving people something to do between pavilions. Much like the expo itself offers a look at our technological future, this was a chance to see how Japanese music is faring in the modern world.
The six-month expo also presents something of a do-over for the nation when it comes to showcasing its cultural highlights. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were supposed to put everything about modern-day Japan in the global spotlight, highlighted by a visually dazzling Opening Ceremony spotlighting the best of what the 2010s had to offer in pop, comedy and innovation, with performances from futuristic pop outfit Perfume among others set against a dazzling-looking stage.
Ahead of the Sunday performance, the Expo grounds buzzed with people carrying bags and umbrellas decorated with Ado's signature blue flower. |
Viola Kam (V'z Twinkle Photography)
Of course, things didn't go as planned. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the games by a year, and in that span of time an event that originally appeared to be trumpeting the country's cultural innovation turned into a joke powered by old-fashioned thinking highlighted by a gag involving comedian Naomi Watanabe dressed as a pig. The final Opening Ceremony was ... fine, if unremarkable outside of that pictograph guy.
On the other hand, the Expo '25 opener brought out some cultural heavyweights. The imperial family and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were there, for sure, but so were the schoolgirl-themed pop act Atarashii Gakko! — who brought out singer-songwriter imase — Kansai's own Avantgardey dance troupe, and avant-garde electronic artist Hakushi Hasegawa. The organizers even found a way to work in some virtual YouTubers (better known as VTubers), giving the whole thing a very 'now' vibe.
Over the next six months, there will be special nights set aside for all kinds of J-pop — idol pop, boy groups, you name it — plus enough Pokemon statues scattered around the venue to make you think you'd wandered into an augmented reality dream. Astro Boy is even starring in his own exhibit on medical and environmental tech. Welcome to Japan's soft-power Super Bowl.
Still, it was Ado who stole the first weekend.
Her Sunday night concert (full disclosure: the author has worked on Ado's English-language bios) felt like the centerpiece in this buffet of 'Cool Japan' — and the ultimate proof of just how deep her fanbase runs. All day, the Expo grounds buzzed with people carrying bags and umbrellas decorated with Ado's signature blue flower. Fans near the front clutched glow sticks in anticipation.
At Ado's Osaka Expo show, the 16,000-capacity outdoor Matsuri arena felt full to the brim with excited fans. |
Viola Kam (V'z Twinkle Photography)
She could have come on, sung a few hits and peaced out. Instead, Ado delivered a full show. A real one. 'Usseewa' hit like a punch in the gut. 'Backlight' turned the arena into a guitar-backed howl-along. After a day of downpours, this offered some welcome catharsis. And despite the open-air acoustics occasionally betraying her, Ado delivered a set that spanned the full emotional spectrum she's come to represent.
The singer herself appeared to be giddy to be a part of the festivities, playfully shouting out Osaka cuisine ('I want to eat takoyaki!') before closing with the rollicking 'Show.'
A glance outside the arena proper revealed thousands more fans listening in and bopping along to Ado's performance. As the show wrapped up, the crowd dissipated. But, hang on — a surprise encore! It was a move that felt both spontaneous and daring, given the Expo's tight programming. Security tried to hold the line, but people ran back toward the arena. It was a special moment that ended the first weekend of a historic event ... and people wanted to be part of it.