SUPER EIGHT—You Yokoyama, Shingo Murakami, Ryuhei Maruyama, Shota Yasuda, and Tadayoshi Ohkura—capped their 20th anniversary celebrations with a three-day concert at the iconic Nippon Budokan from November 26 to 28. Tickets were almost impossible to get due to the venue’s smaller capacity, but luckily, there was a livestream on the final day.
Written by Mimi ♥
For those unfamiliar with Eito, some members had been playing instruments since before their debut, but their first single as a band, LIFE〜目の前の向こうへ〜 (LIFE ~Me no Mae no Mukou e~), was only released in 2010. That single opened more opportunities for them beyond typical idol activities, and they gradually began to be recognized as musicians by their peers. Because of this, seeing them perform at Budokan had always been a personal dream of mine.
Originally a sports venue, Budokan has also become a mecca for Japanese bands. Performing there is often seen as a stamp of authenticity as a musician, so this concert felt like the perfect milestone in Eito’s long, colorful career.
The livestream opened with footage outside the venue—the crowd and giant balloons of the members—setting an excited tone. A person wearing the tour parka walked into the venue, and the show began with a video of Yoko (You Yokoyama ) shouting their customary catchphrase, “俺たちは最高で最強のSUPER EIGHT!” (“We are the best and the strongest SUPER EIGHT!”), on the screen above the stage. This was followed by a compilation of clips from past concerts. The audience erupted as the five members appeared on a red carpet leading to the pentagon-shaped stage in the middle of the arena. Because the venue was smaller than a dome, there were no surrounding speakers, allowing everyone to see clearly from any angle. The smaller stage also suited a band setup perfectly.
Wearing sporty, edgy costumes, the members walked toward their instruments while greeting fans. Once on stage, Yoko said that because the group was now in its 20s, their youth had only just begun. They then started with “あおっぱな (Aoppana),” a song about youth—and performed it as a band for the first time.
Yasu (Shota Yasuda ) and Yoko played guitar, Maru (Ryuhei Maruyama) played bass, and Tacchon (Tadayoshi Ohkura) was on drums. As usual, Hina (Shingo Murakami) hyped up the audience, playing the keyboard with one hand and directing the fans with the other. Each member faced a different direction of the five-sided stage, with Tacchon at the center.
The set list included songs they hadn’t played in a while, such as “って!!!!!!! (Tte!!!!!!!)” and “ナントカナルサ (Nantoka Narusa),” performed back-to-back. They closed the opening rock block with fan favorite “ズッコケ男道 (Zukkoke Otokomichi),” with Maru absolutely nailing the bass.
After the first four songs, they held a talk segment while instruments were switched. Hina, the ever-reliable MC, greeted the audience and livestream viewers. As always, their MC ran long, but fans—Eighters like me—love it. They joked about the directions of the venue, and Maru did gags as usual, most probably as fan service.
They then sat for an acoustic set, with Yasu switching to acoustic guitar and Tacchon on cajon. Before starting, they talked about how Yasu sleeps like a dog—apparently waking every 1.5 hours—prompting the others to scold him repeatedly to sleep more. When he fumbled his words introducing the next song, they scolded him again. They also mentioned an old fandom urban legend that a ghost appeared in the music video for the next song, though it turned out to be a staff member’s shadow.
The acoustic songs were “ワッハッハー (Wa Ha Ha)” and “I to U.” Before performing “Wa Ha Ha,” Yasu said they wanted to deliver it in a way they never had before, since it’s usually a dance number. The audience sang the bridge in a wonderful call-and-response. At the end, Maru did the trademark “laugh” from the recording while Tacchon hit the vibraslap, the two repeating it a few times because everyone found it so funny. Maru revealed that the laugh was originally an ad-lib that ended up being kept in the final recording.
One of the joys of stanning Eito is how well the fans understand their humor and play along. With the 14,000-person audience close to the stage, the atmosphere was especially lively. At one point, Hina asked the fans in the upper stands if they thought they were far from the stage. Expecting them to say no, he was surprised when they shouted yes, leading to a playful back-and-forth where Eito tried to make them answer “It’s far!” to everything.
Maru is known for his weird ad-libs. During “It’s My Soul,” he always sings “私の友達、シャケです” (“My friend is a salmon”) in the intro and the past-tense version in the outro. Fans sang both lines with just a bit of prompting, surprising the other members. Tacchon realized for the first time that the line connected to another lyric in the song and found it unexpectedly deep. This sparked the hashtag #鮭ファン (“salmon fantasy”).
Maru’s most iconic ad-lib, however, is the picture-drawing “song” he performed 16 years ago on the variety show Kanpani—the legendary (or “cursed,” as Hina calls it) U字の水族 (“U-shaped Aquarium”), which trends every time it’s mentioned. When Maru asked if fans wanted to sing it, they formed a giant chorus, making the members laugh at the absurdity of singing that song at Budokan. Hina wondered how long the fans had been following them.
Yoko also shared that the five of them recently went out for a meal together—the first time since the famous New Year’s party at his house back when they were still seven members. He mentioned that he still has the vase all seven signed that night, and treasures it deeply.
Returning to the band setup, they launched into “ローリング・コースター (Rolling Coaster)” as the stage rose into two levels and began rotating so every fan could see them. Tacchon was at the top, with Yoko, Yasu, and Maru on the middle level, and Hina at the bottom due to his keyboard equipment.
They then performed the hard rock number “像 (Zou).” Yasu later said he wanted to present it in a new five-member arrangement and hoped everyone would go wild. Maru revealed he had dropped hints about the song in the SUPER EIGHT app earlier that morning, though no one seemed to notice.
They closed the rock segment with “音楽を聴こえている (Ongaku wo Kikoeteiru),” then entered another talk section while changing into silk suits in shades of blue.
Before the next song, they debated its choreography, with Yoko accusing Maru of doing it wrong (“sniffing the armpit”), eventually leading to Maru apologizing to the song’s producer, Yasuyuki Okamura, later in the show.
They performed only one dance song, the upbeat “ハリケーンベイベー (Hurricane Baby),” with pyrotechnics and lasers during the dance break, then sat for a soulful “Street Blues.” At the end, Yasu removed his tortoiseshell glasses and stared into the camera as he sang “瞳を合わせた” (“our eyes met”).
As they switched back to band mode, Yasu introduced the next song, saying it carried a special meaning at this venue. They then performed TOKIO’s “LOVE YOU ONLY“—a clear homage to the first band-performing group from their agency and seniors they greatly respect.
They launched into another high-energy block with fan-favorite band songs: “未完成 (Mikansei),” “言ったじゃないか (Itta Janaika),” and “ハライッパイ (Hara Ippai),” which has been well-received at music festivals for its catchy call-and-response. The stage rotated again, and Hina switched to a keytar for more mobility. They ended the block with ““超”勝手にしやがれ (“Cho” Katte ni Shiyagare),” rearranged for the show with Maru playing a modified bass line.
After thanking the audience and each other, Yoko introduced the next song—”Onigishi“—which he personally requested. During his 24-Hour TV marathon in August, he didn’t know the others had sung it while he was running, and was moved when he later saw the broadcast. As this was his first time singing it again in 15 years, he wanted all five of them to perform it together. Childhood photos of the members appeared on the screens as they sang.
They closed the main show with “乾杯!!節 (Kanpai!! Bushi).” The members bowed in all directions before leaving the stage.
As expected, the audience began the Eito call for an encore, and the members returned wearing the concert T-shirts. They performed “T.W.L.,” with the signature towel-slinging, followed by the heartwarming “友よ (Tomoyo),” encouraging friends not to give up.
For the final greeting, Hina said that nothing is guaranteed, which is why they’re grateful they can continue as idols. He believed this fun would go on as long as Eighters were there, and said they already had plans so we could meet again soon. Yoko then had everyone—including press—hold hands, as the 360-degree venue made it a rare chance for everyone to be connected. The group made sure to bow in every direction, something they had failed at the previous two days. Yoko led the call, “We are the best, and strongest SUPER…” while pausing between phrases to move to the next direction, and everyone raised their hands while shouting, “EIGHT!”
Because it was the final show, fans were relentless in calling for another encore, and after a short wait, Eito returned. After some teasing from Yoko’s usual “どんなほしいの？” (“What do you want?”), the intro to “無限大 (Mugendai)” began, with the audience singing the opening lines. The members bowed and greeted fans while singing, with Hina doing strange dances. Before the song ended, a few members joined him, and Tacchon yelled, “Put the hand you’re not using on your hips!”, a line from the agency’s notorious choreographer Sanche, making everyone laugh.
As they left the stage, they greeted more fans, with Maru doing as much fan service as possible. It was a night full of laughter and appreciation between Eito and Eighters.
Finally performing at Budokan was a memorable way to conclude their 20th anniversary, reassuring fans that the group is in a good place. Despite all the highs and lows through the years, we are simply happy to spend time with them—and just like their songs say, all is well, and life goes on.
If you missed the livestream or want to rewatch it, replays will be available from December 10 to 19 on the FAMILY CLUB online website—for overseas viewers too!
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