On April 12th, the idol group Sakurazaka46, celebrating their 5th anniversary, held the final performance (day 2) of their anniversary live concert, "5th YEAR ANNIVERSARY LIVE," at MUFG Stadium (National Stadium, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo). This was the group's first-ever concert at the National Stadium, and they thrilled a sold-out audience.
The concert, held over two days on April 11th and 12th, drew approximately 140,000 people, the largest audience the group has ever had. Five and a half years after changing their name from their predecessor, "Keyakizaka46," these two days reaffirmed the group's momentum.
The live show kicked off with their latest single, "The Growing Up Train," featuring Karin Fujiyoshi as the center. They followed up with a series of dance numbers, including "Approval Needs" and "Reap What You Sow," quickly raising the energy of the venue. MC segments were limited to just two, at the beginning and end, and a total of 27 songs were performed. The show unfolded as an intense performance centered around the music. With many dance tracks, the choreography, personally created by member Yui Takemoto, captivated the audience with the participation of all the members.
At the performance on the 11th, it was announced that Ten Yamasaki would be appointed vice-captain. She sang the beginning of "Samidare yo" as a solo. She exuded presence in both dance and song, showing the reliable image of a vice-captain.
Hikaru Morita, who has been leading the group, also made her presence felt that day, taking center stage in various songs. After performing "Nobody's fault," the first title track since the group's name change, Morita spoke with emotion, saying, "This is the song that marked the beginning of our journey as Sakurazaka46, so I'm incredibly happy that we were able to perform it with all the members at the National Stadium."
Furthermore, she recalled that when deciding on the theme for the song at the time, she had two options: "destruction" and "rebirth," and chose "rebirth." She said tearfully, "There were times when I thought it would have been better to destroy it and rebuild it, but when I saw this view today, I felt for the first time that I was glad I chose rebirth," and the audience responded with warm applause.
Yamazaki expressed her gratitude to the Buddies (the fans' nickname), saying, "It's all thanks to your continued support every single day until today. Thank you so much for bringing us to the National Stadium!" She then added, "In our sixth year, we want to deliver lots of excitement and thrills, and things that will be a source of support in your daily lives. Please look forward to what Sakurazaka will do in the future!"
Captain Rina Matsuda emphasized, "The members still have many dreams and goals. Sakurazaka46 cannot narrow down its dreams to just one. We want to be ambitious. So this is not the end!" and vowed to achieve even greater success.
After the show, it was announced that an arena tour will be held in 6 cities across Japan for 12 performances starting in July, as well as a "6th YEAR ANNIVERSARY LIVE" to be held at ZOZO Marine Stadium (Mihama Ward, Chiba City) in November. Furthermore, it was revealed that the first ever Asian tour for the Sakamichi Group will be held in 2027, making it a thrilling performance filled with fans' delightful surprises until the very end.
