Travis Japan continues to expand their reach in its homeland and worldwide by 2025 and take on challenges worldwide. The popular boy band is currently on the road and promotes his second album Viisual – There topped Billboard Japan Hot Albums diagram after dropping in December – traveling to eight cities around the country for the domestic Travis Japan Concert Tour 2025 Viisual Tour, which started in January. The group is also ready to tour Asia and the US to its second global hike this summer.
Billboard Japan caught the six members (Noel is currently taking a break for health reasons), which continues to improve themselves by learning from each other and asked about the appeal of their new songs “Say I Do” and “Tokyo Crazy Night.” The group also looked back at their world tour from last year, which took them to six cities across the globe and shared some takeaways from the experience.
Could you share your impressions from your first world tour, Travis Japan World Tour 2024 Road to A, which took place last fall?
Shizu: We toured six cities around the world to promote our first album Road to oneAnd was able to interact further with our fans outside Japan. I felt that I had had a very valuable experience. The venues were not exactly big, but I was glad we were able to show the appeal of Travis Japan, which can only be expressed on such scenes. We had a lot of fun on tour and learned the local languages along the way.
SHIME: It was our first time that did, of course I looked forward to it, but also a little worried about how it would go. But when we actually got on stage, the audience was really excited and cheered so much. Our fans taught us some of the local languages between songs and we learned a lot on that world tour.
Chaka: We had been waiting to take a global tour since our debut in October 2022, so when it finally became a reality, we boarded the plane with a mixture of expectation and anxiety. It was a whole new environment for us, but we went on stage with the confidence our fans had given us and the entertainment we had built. Above all, I thought it was wonderful that we were able to connect with people through entertainment. We could have done better in certain aspects, but I think it was a very fruitful tour.
Genta: After experiencing the world tour that the seven of us had targeted to do, there were definitely some fun parts, but also a lot of difficult parts. But as the other members said, we got a lot of experience and everything we went through made us stronger. I am really grateful that we were able to show our performances on stage with the support of our fans and staff who have stood with us. I was also happy to have experienced the culture and food for every country we visited. I felt strongly that I want us to continue to expand our reach and gain more experience.
Machu: It was our dream and a huge goal that we had worked against, so I was really glad it came true. Until then, we had received answers through social media from our fans abroad, who could not get to our domestic trips, but when we were able to communicate with them directly in their home countries, we realized once again how many people supported us. It was a really wonderful opportunity.
UMI: It really hit home how big the world is after we made our global tour and I could feel first hand how many fans were waiting for us. I had a really good time, but at the same time felt that I have to study languages more.
You step into new genres with “Say I do” and “Tokyo Crazy Night.”
UMI: It feels like “Say I Do” is a kind of song we’ve never done before. We don’t have many songs where we open such to the love interest, so I was glad we could sing lyrics like that, and the karaoke-friendly sound is also really good.
Machu: The texts are straightforward, right? It’s a love song that really gets the message across.
Shizu: I think it’s nice because it’s pop and uses sounds that make people feel happy.
Shime: I also think the lyrics are really good. The part that goes, “The lighting in my heart lights up every time I see you,” I wonder if our fans think like every time they come to our shows. I think there are parts that everyone can relate to.
“Say that I do” is the theme song to Honnou SwitchThe drama series starring Chaka.
Chaka: When I read the lyrics, I could imagine the situation in the drama and I feel that (the lyrics and drama) are strongly connected. There are two people who love each other and the lyrics are full of both their feelings and the messages they convey to each other. I also think it’s sweet that there is a development in the texts. Expressing that kind of feeling is a new side of TJ. It’s fun to find that we can also express things like this.
Genta: We put aside our “weapons” (dance) for the first time in the accompanying music video and created a company called Doki Doki Ren’ai Sodanjo (Racing Heart Love Consultation Center). We work there as employees and solve people’s problems.
“Tokyo Crazy Night” is the theme song for the drama series Tokyo Camouflage Hourstarring in Machu.
Machu: It’s by-style-city pop and then cool and matches the drama it accompanies. It’s also a genre we’ve never tried before, so I think our fans will be able to see a new page of us.
Shime: I really like the choir. The choir’s tune, the rhythm of the song and the background all sound really good together and it is a lot of fun to sing. It’s a cool song, so we have to sing it in a cool way, but it’s just so fun. I want our fans to sing it on karaoke with cool expressions on their faces.
You have another world tour that has been created this year.
Machu: During our first hike, we felt directly how much so many people support us, and after experiencing it means a lot. This time we can plan ahead from the rehearsal stage and include things like “Let’s make a section where we sing with the crowd” so we can kick this year’s Global Tour a notch from last year. I would also like to thank a lot of thanks again this year.
Genta: We hope to be able to deliver Travis Japan’s performance to more people while using the experience we got last year. Theme songs for the drama series starring the lead role have also been released, so I will also convey the appeal to these new songs.
Chaka: I will take the feelings and love we received from everyone on our domestic tour, the performances we will show and deliver, plus our wonderful songs, put them all in a continuation and board these aircraft!
Machu: What do you mean? It sounds like you are being stopped at the security checkpoints.
Shime: [Laughs] I will spread lots of happiness. We all work hard to get on shows that make you love Travis Japan’s performances and entertainment even more.
Shizu: Every time we perform during our trips and events abroad, the number of people we will see increases again and it feels like our family is growing. I’m sure there will be fans from every country coming to our shows for the first time, so I will give it all to make them feel like they are also part of our family. We will do this for a tour that people will return to, and will also create a space that makes us want to go back.
UMI: Being able to perform for local fans on our World Tour is a really big deal for us. There are things you can’t understand until you feel the passion of the local fans directly, so we perform with the same power as everyone waiting for us and it would be nice if we can make them happy with our dance and song.
Travis Japan World Tour 2025 Viisual
25. July – Hammerstein Ballroom – New York, New
July 27 – The Grove of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
Taipei – coming soon
Hong Kong – coming soon
Bangkok – coming soon
– This interview of Atsuo Naghori first appeared on Billboard Japan