Fresh off the stage at cube garden in Sapporo, on August 28, Taisei Fukumoto sat down with us for an exclusive interview to discuss his first nationwide live house tour, “Yonmoji.”
Still glowing from his performance, Taisei shared candid insights into his creative process, the emotional weight of his self-written songs, and the deep connection he holds with his fans. From designing the stage to crafting the setlist, Taiseiโs hands-on approach reveals an artist dedicated not only to his craft but also to creating a memorable and personal experience for everyone in attendance.
Read the full cube garden, Sapporo live report here on Dumpling Box.
Interview and report conducted by Sabina and translation by Orel of Dumpling Box | 2024.08.28
To people who don’t know who Fukumoto Taisei is, please introduce yourself!
Iโm Taisei Fukumoto. Iโm currently holding a live tour called โYonmoji.โ Iโm an idol, and while Iโm still in the middle of learning I also write and compose my own songs and produce my stage on my own.
What were your first thoughts about doing a national live house tour?
First of all I just really wanted to meet my fans again. This thought is what started this whole tour. But at the same time, I was really nervous. Doing a nationwide tour, I was worried whether all of the fans would actually come.
I was worried thinking โWill anyone come? Will this (Hokkaido) venue be filled at all?โ I was worried about ticket sales too (laugh). But when I was finally able to see the faces of my fans directly and meet my fans face to face it made me extremely happy.
I could see their faces very clearly from the stage and was surprised when I recognized so many faces and thought โI know these faces!โ. There were many fans that I remember seeing their faces before and could recognize them, so being able to see them was extremely heartwarming for me and now I feel so full of happiness.
What is the meaning behind the name of “Yonmoji”?
The first song I wrote is a song called โYonmojiโ (ใใใใ; Four letters). When I decided to put my feelings and thoughts into a song a lot of words came up to my mind, and all those words were of four letters, which made me realize that you can express so many things using only four letters.
So I tried to come up with as many words as I could that express my feelings and have four letters and put these 4-letters words all into one song. So the meaning behind the songโs name is not just one specific thing, but rather all of the things that I wanted to express and say through this song.
And all those things together are what make the song โYonmojiโ. The entire lyrics of the song are words that I wanted to convey.
How did you come up with the stage design and visual aspects for “Yonmoji”?
I based it on what I think being an idol means. Itโs a combination of the idol I personally want to become and also what I think would make my fans happy to see. I tried to picture this imaginary ideal idol and combined it with my own ideas and that became the base of my ideas for the production of the stage.
What do you want the audience to remember from the “Yonmoji” tour?
I want them to remember the space. I made this stage from zero together with the staff and it means a lot to me, so I really hope the audience would remember the overall space of the stage. Itโs a happy place that is shared only between me and my fans. I want them to take that memory with them and remember that Taisei Fukumoto the idol was there in that space.
Could you tell us a little about the process behind creating the song “Yonmoji”?
I am still a total beginner when it comes to writing and composing songs so I really didnโt know anything about how to do it in the beginning. For starters, I started with instruments and practiced playing the piano. Then I studied chord progression as well.
Even if I suddenly created a difficult song I wonโt be able to play it myself so I purposely made the song with an easy melody and used only easy chords. But of course, I canโt do it all completely by myself. I consulted with the staff and asked them โShould I do it this or that way?โ and used their advice while creating the song.
If you could pick one song from the setlist that currently represents “Taisei Fukumoto,” which one would it be?
This is a hard one! So difficult (in English). But if I have to choose one I guess that would be โI wanna meet Uโ. This song represents the way I am right now and what the current me is like, so right now itโs โI wanna meet Uโ for me. It is a very J-pop song and has a really light melody but the lyrics represent my feelings at the moment, so it has this gap.
What would today’s “ใใใใ” be?
Relief. (In Japanese ๅฎๅฟ(ใใใใ)=โa n shi nโ) I feel very relieved. Itโs not really something to talk about but I didnโt have much time to prepare properly for the concert this time and so everything was very hectic.
But when it was time for the actual performance everyone worked hard and managed to finish up everything in order to make it a success and covered each otherโs mistakes when needed. And it was a real success so I was really relieved.
Regarding the goods, is there any plan to release anything with Pyonche?
It really depends on Pyoncheโs mood and what he would think about it. Iโm trying to ask him but he doesnโt seem to have an intention to do it as for now. It depends a lot on his feelings so it might happen one day if everyoneโs voices will reach him.
What were your thoughts before going on stage at Shibuya?
I was really nervous and excited. I was worried about how fans would react. The songs I sing in the show arenโt released anywhere, so I wasnโt sure about the fansโ reaction to them, but thankfully the fans got really excited and even before the show started everyone cheered and called my name and it encouraged me a lot.
After your first show in Shibuya, how do you feel?
I am really full of happiness right now. Being able to meet my fans really gave me a lot of power. Ever since I met my fans I feel really happy. Thatโs really everything there is to say.
What is the current “past,” “now,” and “dream”?
Right now the most important thing to me is the time I get to spend with my fans and I cherish it with all of my heart. Thatโs why at the moment I personally donโt feel that this is the right time for me to talk about dreams for the future.
But I do have a dream. I have a dream and my activities now are for the sake of that dream. I want to be able to tell my fans about it directly and I believe that in the future there will be a place and time when I can do that and share my dream with my fans with my own words, so when that time comes I will tell them about it there.
Thank you for always writing Taisei’s Letter. Is there anything particular you want fans in the FC to pay attention to?
I set the word โfulfillmentโ as the motto of my fan club. This is what I wish for my fans to be able to feel and find there. I mean, people who joined my fan club are my fans, right? So there is a difference between how I face my fans and show myself to them versus what I let other people see.
With my fans, I can be the way I am. I can let my guard down and show my real face only to them and I do it through the fan club. Also, I originally had the image of a fan club being mostly for the sake of balloting for tickets for live shows but I want to make my fan club into much more than that.
I want to make it into an interesting space shared between me and my fans by doing livestreams, radio, blog, etc. I want to make it into something that would give you a sense of fulfillment to have and use it.
As Taisei Fukumoto reflects on his “Yonmoji” tour and the heartfelt moments shared with his fans, itโs clear that his journey as a solo artist is just beginning. With each performance, Taisei continues to evolveโboth as a musician and as an idol who cherishes the close bond he shares with his audience. His passion and hard work for creating music that touches hearts, coupled with his humble, hands-on approach, sets the stage for a bright and promising future.
Before wrapping up the interview, Taisei offers a message of gratitude to his fans:
Lastly, to all your overseas fans, do you have any messages or words you’d like to say?
I really want to go and meet all of my overseas fans personally. I know that usually they watch me in videos or in other contents of the fan club but I would love to be able to go and perform in front of them directly.
They always come all the way to Japan to watch me perform, so next time I want to be the one to go to their place. I will definitely create an opportunity to go over there one day, so when the time comes please come and see me!
As the “Yonmoji” tour continued, it was clear that Taiseiโs star was rising, and his fans would be there, lighting the way, every step of the way.
Read part two of the interview here (updated 2025.03.17).
About Taisei Fukumoto
Taisei Fukumoto (็ฆๆฌๅคงๆด), born 1999, from Osaka.
Declared his solo career as a self-produced idol in June 2024. Kicked off his first national tour “Yonmoji” starting on August 23, 2024.
Declared his solo career as a self-produced idol in June 2024. Kicked off his first national tour “Yonmoji” starting on August 23, 2024.
Participated in IDOL RADIO LIVE IN TOKYO ใ Shining Moments ใ, September 28, at Tokyo Garden Theater.
On March 12, 2025, Taisei released his first CD single โKoi no Joushou Kiryuuโ (ๆใฎไธๆๆฐๆต). Written and composed by Taisei himself, the title track is a vibrant love song infused with city pop vibes, expressing the feeling of soaring toward a loved one on rising currents of love.
From February to March, he held his nationwide hall tour “Love Typhoon.”
The upcoming fan meeting for his fan club members, “Colorfull,” as well as the streamed performance of his live tour “Yonmoji” through ABEMA shines on the horizon.
The name of his official fanclub, โColorfull,โ combines โColorfulโ and โFull,โ symbolizing Taiseiโs dedication to presenting you with a โcolorfulโ future with full effort.
The platform aims to brighten the daily lives of his supporters through his passionate and full-hearted activities as an idol. The community reflects his desire to share the colorful journey and scenery of his career with his fans, ensuring that every day is a bit more vibrant for them.
Taisei Fukumoto Official Links
For more exclusive insight, check out the connecting interviews
Swedish-Japanese Performers Association
Life in Cartoon Motion
A huge thanks to Taisei Fukumoto, his staff, and NEW EVIDENCE for their time and opportunity to conduct this interview!