Hey, Arama Japan! It’s Friday, so it’s Open Post time! Feel free to chat with your fellow readers about whatever you like! Enjoy!

This week’s guests were Hey! Say! JUMP, Ishizaki Huwie, TWICE, Hentai Shinshi Club, Tokyo Jihen, and Ken Hirai.

Hey! Say! JUMP – Negative Fighter

Ishizaki Huwie – Ayame

TWICE – Kura Kura

Hentai Shinshi Club – YOKAZE

Tokyo Jihen – Ryokushu

Ken Hirai – 1995

This week’s episode featured Miwa Akihiro. The 85 year old icon tells the story behind his signature song “Yoitomake no Uta.” He also tells how he overcame World War II, poverty, and discrmination. Several clips of Akihiro from the NHK archive are also shown.

Psychedelic rock quintet Odotte Bakari no Kuni have announced that they will be releasing a new full-length album titled “moana” on June 2nd. This longplay comes just one year and four months after the release of the band’s previous studio album “Watashi wa Tsuki ni wa Ikanai Darou”.

“moana” will include new versions of the group’s previously released tracks “Orion” and “Himawari no Tane”, and ten new songs for a total of 12. A PV for the record’s lead track “Hey human” has been uploaded to the band’s YouTube channel.

Read on below to find this folksy music video, plus the cover and complete track list for “moana”.

Late last month we reported that alternative rock band GRAPEVINE would be releasing a new album titled “Atarashii Kajitsu” on May 26th. As this date draws nearer, the trio have chosen to publish a lyric video for the longplay’s second track “Mezamashi wa Itsumo Nari Yamanai”.

The PV cuts together shots of a daytime cityscape with a clock steadily crawling towards 7AM. Like the last two videos tied to this project, the clip was directed by videographer Takumi Shiga.

You’ll find the full video for the funky “Mezamashi wa Itsumo Nari Yamanai” right after the cut.

Singer/songwriter Yoshie Nakano – better known as the vocalist of jazz/rock duo EGO-WRAPPIN’ – has announced that she will be releasing a new studio album on June 30th. Titled “Amai”, this will be Nakano’s third solo record in total and her first since 2015’s “Madokei”.

“Amai” will include her previously released digital single “SA SO U”, along with nine new tracks – like the nostalgic “Orion-za” and melancholic ballad “Anata wo” – for a total of ten. Of particular note is “Machizora”, which will feature folk singer Yuta Orisaka on both vocals and guitar.

You’ll find the cover and track list for “Amai”, plus the audio for “SA SO U” right after the cut.

This month on the download side, two songs from 2021 were certified Gold for selling 100,000 downloads: Utada Hikaru‘s “One Last Kiss” and YOASOBI‘s “Kaibutsu.”

One song was certified Million for selling 1,000,000 copies: LiSA‘s “Homura.”

On the streaming side, three songs from 2021 were certified Gold for reaching 50,000,000 streams: Awesome City Club‘s “Wasurena” and YOASOBI’s “Encore” & “Kaibutsu.”

Sakura Miyawaki recently completed activities with the successful South Korean based group IZ*ONE. In 2018 she successfully was one of the winning contestants on the CJ E&M talent reality show Produce 101, as one of the winners she halted activities with AKB48 and HKT48 to focus on IZ*ONE.

After three years fans were looking forward to her return with HKT48, but it appears that her time with the group is limited. Popular retailer HMV shared a preview photo of Sakura in an upcoming issue of the popular fashion magazine ViVi. In the page it has text that approximately says: