Tokyo is one of those sprawling metropolises where a variety of arts come together. Music has a major presence in the streets and venues of Japan’s capital. You can find whatever genre you like there. Local and international artists occupy stages large and small, buskers are probably more numerous there than in the subways of New York, and the music blaring in restaurants can often be a few notches louder than it should be. With Japan finally opening its borders to visitors after over two years due to the pandemic, international performers are able to travel to the land of the rising sun again.
The first annual Tokyo Beyond Festival kicked off this year in Shibuya in the heart of the city. Bands from varying prefectures in Japan and different countries overseas traveled to Tokyo to participate in this 2-day festival. On November 26 & 27, 2022, over 50 bands performed between four different venues in the same vicinity; Home, Lush, Restaurant Bar Yinega, and Club Bar Family (previously co-owned by the late Nujabes and a starting ground for many Japanese Hip Hop acts of his time). The Tokyo Beyond Festival is an independent grassroots festival organized by a collaboration between artist and tour manager Apryl Peredo of Inter Idoru, Naoki Kaneko, and Kenji Miyauchi. The festival billed itself as “not only a way for overseas bands to introduce themselves to Japanese audiences but a way for both domestic and international musicians to network, collaborate, and reach for their dreams.”
OneTwoOneTwo got a chance to be in attendence at Tokyo Beyond Festival’s inaugural event. Japan-resident and vlogger Francella Bella took up the opportunity and offered us a look at some of the weekend’s festivities as she made her way through the different showcases with her press pass and video camera in hand. Check out the video.
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