Kento Nakajima (31)—also endearingly called Kenty—wrapped up his first solo nationwide tour, KENTO NAKAJIMA 1st Tour 2025 “N / bias” 巡 (Jun), with two final performances at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA on July 17th. His self-produced tour, which kicked off in Osaka in April, visited 7 major cities, drawing an estimated 30,000 attendees over 12 shows.
The tour marked a major step forward in Kenty’s career as a solo artist, and featured a setlist that honored both his time with Sexy Zone and his more recent solo work.
Kenty kicked things off with “CANDY~Can U be my BABY~”, instantly captivating the audience. Fans screamed “LOVE KENTY!” as he danced with a lollipop, setting the tone for the rest of the show. The energy only intensified as he transitioned seamlessly into “SHE IS…LOVE,” a crowd favorite full of fan chants and audience participation. His backup dancers (N’s Performers) added to the spectacle with spherical lights, culminating in a beautiful heart-shaped light formation around Kenty.
Even though the energy was already through the roof, Kenty amped it up further with a playful challenge: “Are you ready to get heated? I won’t forgive you if you go easy on me!” As he descended through the aisles during “Hey!! Summer Honey,” the venue erupted in cheers.
Throughout the concert, Kenty shared heartfelt moments with the audience. “I want to do more lives, music, and entertainment. I hope you all find strength and purpose within yourselves. We all have pain and sadness, but look, you made it to this concert—and that’s happiness, right?” Then he performed “HITOGOTO,” the theme song from his drama “Shosen Hitogoto Desukara.”
The show dazzled with stunning visuals, including vibrant purple, red, and orange lasers during “Raise Your Light,” which segued into a stylish video montage exploring the “What If?” in the entertainment industry. From modeling in New York to gracing magazine covers and accepting prestigious awards, it’s clear that Kenty’s ambitions are unparalleled. A mysterious figure, Mr. ? (Hatena), a man in all black with his face obscured by a question mark, made several appearances throughout the show, adding to the intrigue.
As the concert progressed, Kenty donned a black, sparkly outfit for “MONTAGE.” The single, which was released in May, served as the opening theme for the anime “Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de.” The song ended with multiple spotlights converging on Kenty as he stood center stage.
Mid-set, “Bye Bye Me” impressed fans with charming choreography while Kenty sang with a stand mic. The energy reached a peak when he ripped his shirt off during “Mission,” thrilling fans who cheered him on until he dramatically collapsed on stage—only to be “revived” by their cheers.
During a light-hearted MC segment, Kenty joked that, “Now that I’m performing solo, it’s a little trickier to find time to change, so I’m just gonna do it on stage. Did you see my underwear? Erase that from your memory!” He continued with a playful comment about the summer heat saying, “Whenever I work in the summer, I can’t stop sweating. But live concerts are the best, and the reason I do them is for U:nity.” He also thanked the fans for getting his recently-released KENTO NAKAJIMA 1st Live 2025 “N / bias” concert DVD to #1 in the daily rankings!
He then spoke about his recent trip to France for “Eiga no Tabibito” and how he had actually spent his first birthday in Paris. His parents had attended the previous day’s show—his dad (Papaty) exclaimed, “Wow! You’re so amazing!”, while his mom (Mamaty) humorously cut him off saying, “Don’t exaggerate!” (even though she was the one fervently waving her penlight).
Another VTR showed him updating his autograph at the FAMILY CLUB Exhibition Space. He dated it with the Shibuya concert dates, 2025.07.16 & 17, and encouraged fans to check it out!
The concert took a fun turn when Mr. ? appeared again, challenging Kenty and U:nity to answer questions based on his KenTeaTime blog posts. In the photo he posted on White Day 2023, did he pose with a heart or with a peace sign? The next question asked him to identify Bonita from a zoomed-in photo of her nose. Thanks to U:nity’s help, Kenty passed the quiz, earning the prize of eating his Chief Manager’s homemade octopus sausages and egg rolls.
A VTR showcasing performances from N / bias culminated in a surprise announcement: Kenty’s first international solo show! KENTO NAKAJIMA 1st Live 2025 in TAIPEI “N / bias” 凱 (Gai), will take place on September 14 at Zepp New Taipei, with a livestream available even for fans overseas! Fans can look forward to new content and a unique setlist. He also explained that the title Gai comes from the word, “gaisen,” meaning to return triumphantly, and shared his determination to level up overseas before coming home.
Though the announcement took some by surprise, it’s clear Kenty is ready to challenge himself on the global stage. His English has notably improved in recent years, and he even demonstrated his skills in the 2024 international drama, Concordia, where he delivered lines in English. Although the Taipei concert marks his first solo show abroad, this is just the beginning—there are sure to be many more exciting international projects on the horizon!
Next up was “Jasmine Tea,” which began with Kenty gracefully pouring tea while N’s Performers danced amongst smoke bubbles, creating an ethereal atmosphere. A rare opportunity to rest, one may have expected Kenty to remain seated, however, by the end of the song, he was fully immersed in the performance, elegantly dancing alongside N’s Performers.
Bringing back the energy levels, fans went wild during “Heartbeats,” which was followed shortly by “Meimu.” Kenty, in a fluffy red outfit, performed behind a sheer screen projecting various landscapes. He appeared to float through the visuals, symbolizing his search for the unknown.
Kenty’s outfit for “Hekireki”—a denim patchwork ensemble—were reminiscent of the blue tones of Hokusai’s masterpiece The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The song was a collaboration with the visual experience HOKUSAI: ANOTHER STORY in TOKYO.
During another MC segment, Kenty shared his dream: “I want to take everyone to Tokyo Dome. Who’s your #1? Because mine is U:nity. Let’s go there in three, no two years!” He reflected on the struggles of the past year. Although he was told he was a bad person, U:nity helped him overcome sadness and loneliness. “Let’s go see the beautiful light together,” he said before launching into the final song, “PICARESQUE.“
The audience erupted in chants of “Kento! Kento! Kento!” and he returned to the stage for an encore, performing “jealous” with the audience singing along in full force.
Before moving on to the next song, he explained, “Sorry, there was a moment when I got a little distracted. Can I tell you why? My best friend, Iwamoto Hikaru from Snow Man is here!” The venue erupted in shrieks. “Let me know you’re coming next time! What’s with that LINE stamp?? I thought you were too busy to make it, but then I saw you while I was performing “jealous!” He then explained to the audience, “He’s my best friend who has always supported me,” to which they exclaimed, “Thank you!!”
He introduced the next encore song. “This was the first song where I developed the full choreography. Let’s become one. ‘Unite.‘”
Before he exited the stage, he had everyone yell “LOVE KENTY!” as confetti was launched. One stuck to his forehead to the amusement of the audience. As soon as he exited, the “Kento! Kento!” cheers resumed. When the venue announced that the show was over, the cheers became more insistent.
For the double encore, Kenty made one last appearance, leading the crowd in a heartfelt a capella version of “PICARESQUE.” The moment felt like a perfect union between Kenty and his U:nity.
The final number of the show was the debut live performance of “JUST KENTY☆.” He wrote the lyrics himself, lovingly describing his fans as the ones who shine the brightest in his life. The music video for the song, a B-side from the single “MONTAGE,” was released on YouTube the previous night.
To conclude the show, Kenty shared, “I’ve resolved myself. I’ll become everyone’s brightest star! When I say JUST, you say KENTY!”
“JUST!”
“KENTY!”
And with that, the evening came to a heartwarming end.
Written for Dumpling Box by Stephanie ♥
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