It was revealed on March 31st that footage from three legendary concerts held by singer Akina Nakamori between 1985 and 1988 will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW on May 1st, the anniversary of her debut.
Akina Nakamori has been active for 44 years since her debut on May 1, 1982, and recently has been performing energetically with live tours and other activities. On May 1st, the anniversary of her debut, she will release "AKINA NOTE," her first full album in 8 years and 6 months. Furthermore, she has announced that she will hold "AKINA NAKAMORI LIVE TOUR 2026" in July, her first live tour in 20 years.
On her debut day, we want to fully appreciate the charm of Nakamori, a diva who shines brightly in the history of J-POP, with her overwhelmingly moving singing voice, unique and glamorous costumes, and dazzling dance performances that captivate the audience.
Details of the three programs are as follows.
◇ "Akina Nakamori Bitter & Sweet (1985 Summer Tour)" (Broadcast on WOWOW Live from 8 PM on May 1st / Streaming on WOWOW On Demand. Archive streaming available after broadcast/streaming ends.)
This is the first live video release by Nakamori, featuring footage from her concert at the Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Kaikan (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on September 22, 1985. This video, which was a record-breaking hit at the time, will be broadcast and streamed. It is a live recording from her nationwide concert tour held from July to October 1985, which included 29 performances in 26 cities across Japan, in support of her 7th studio album, "BITTER AND SWEET," released in April 1985. This is a valuable work as it is Nakamori's first live video release.
At the end of that year, Nakamori won her first Japan Record Award with "Mi Amore [Meu amor e…]". At this live performance, she performed the song with different lyrics and a long Latin version. In addition to performing "Akai Tori Nigeta", she also tackled hit songs such as "Jikkai (1984)", "SAND BEIGE -Sabaku e-", and "Kazari Ja Nai no yo Namida wa", as well as covers of overseas hits such as Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" and Jermaine Jackson's "Dynamite". She showed a stage that demonstrated the breadth of her abilities. Pay attention to the supple yet alluring performance of Nakamori, who was 20 years old at the time.
◇ "Akina Nakamori Live in '87: A HUNDRED days" (Broadcast on WOWOW Live on May 1st at 9 PM / Streaming on WOWOW On Demand, archive streaming available after broadcast/streaming ends)
A video recording of the October 17th performance at the Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, from Nakamori's concert tour "A HUNDRED days," which ran for 100 days from July 11th to October 18th, 1987, and included 29 performances in 25 cities nationwide, will be broadcast and streamed.
Following her win of The Japan Record Awards for "Mi Amore [Meu amor e…]" and her subsequent win of "DESIRE - Jonetsu -", Nakamori, who has remained at the pinnacle of the music scene, delivered a mature and polished performance at this live show. The setlist centered around works by singer-songwriters. In addition to Yosui Inoue's "Kazari Ja Nai no yo Namida wa" and Tokiko Kato's "Nanpasen," songs like Mariya Takeuchi's "OH NO, OH YES!" and Akiko Kobayashi's "MIND GAME" were interspersed throughout, showcasing Nakamori's growing presence as a mature singer. The powerful live footage, centered around her 10th album "CRIMSON" released in 1986, and including album tracks such as "BITTER AND SWEET" and "Fushigi," is breathtaking.
◇ "Akina Nakamori Live in '88: Femme Fatale" (Broadcast on WOWOW Live on May 1st at 10 PM / Streaming on WOWOW On Demand, Archive streaming available after broadcast/streaming ends)
This video features footage from Nakamori's "Femme Fatale" tour, which ran from July to October 1988, specifically the performance at Nakano Sun Plaza (Nakano Ward, Tokyo) on October 26th, the final day of the tour.
The tour featured two original albums released in March and August of 1988, "Stock" and "Femme Fatale," but the highlight was the medley of nostalgic songs in the middle of the concert. Nakamori's vocals adorned classic Japanese songs such as "Ringo no Uta," "Minnesota no Tamagouri," "Arashi o Yobu Otoko," "Tokyo Boogie Woogie," "Ginza Kankan Musume," and "Last Dance wa Watashi ni." Furthermore, she performed "1/2 no Shinwa" and "Slow Motion," which can be considered her starting point, and the audience was visibly captivated by her voice. This stage was full of Nakamori's charm and showed why she will always be loved as a diva. *Due to rights issues, some songs will be cut from the archived stream.
