Advance Tickets for the Kishibe no Uta Festival Go on Sale, Drawing Lines for Its First Outdoor Show

Advance tickets for the Kishibe no Uta music festival, set for Kishihama Park on the 23rd and organized by Shiosai Records, went on sale at 10 a.m. on the 13th. Now in its seventh year, the festival has been held indoors at the Bayside Civic Hall for all six previous editions, but this year marks its first outdoor show, previously reported. More than a dozen people had already lined up at the special ticket window before sales began. "Hearing it's outdoors this time, I can genuinely feel more people moving than last year," an organizer said.

Organizers project attendance of around 5,000, roughly three times last year's estimated 1,700 at the Civic Hall. Asked why the venue moved to Kishihama Park, a Shiosai Records representative said, "We judged that the indoor capacity wasn't enough for the lineup we wanted to put together this year." The same park hosted the Arrival Remembrance Day ceremony on Sept. 7, previously reported, and the representative added, "With the echo of that ceremony still in the venue, we want to sound something brighter there this time."

The biggest draw among this year's performers is singer Yuki Shirase's debut of her authorized cover of "the Shore Lullaby." As previously reported, she has trained since August under the direct guidance of the song's transcriber, Ushio Kishiura, in twice-weekly, recording-banned oral lessons. She is scheduled to sing the first three of the song's thirteen verses, following the established policy of not distributing a translation of the lyrics. Her agency said, "She accepted the condition of not revealing the meaning of the lyrics as part of taking this role. Shirase herself has been rehearsing without ever being told what the words mean."

Rakugo master Kishihachi Ryutei's new piece, "Window Art," whose rehearsal he opened to reporters on the 11th, previously reported, will also debut at the festival. Built around Window Day and refusing to settle on any single origin story, the piece treats the very multiplicity of explanations as its punchline — a natural subject for a performer who lived through the 1975 mass arrival as a first-generation settler. Marking the ticket sale on the 13th, Kishihachi said, "Frankly, following music onto the stage is a losing hand. But hearing that people are lining up like this today straightens my back a little."

Idol group Kishibe Seven and the band Yorusagi round out the bill. Kishibe Seven's agency said, "Outdoor Kishihama Park will be a first stage for the members too. For the two members with nonhuman features, being able to sing outdoors without hiding their tails carries a particular meaning." Yorusagi, formed in the city's north, takes its name from the designated drift species of the same name, previously reported, named a designated species on Aug. 31.

A woman in her thirties who had lined up before sales opened said, "Last year, indoors, I could only see from the back. Outdoors, I might be able to hear Shirase a bit closer." A man in his forties waiting with his child said, "My kid's a Kishibe Seven fan and always looks forward to the two members with nonhuman features. With it outdoors this year, we want seats up front."

General admission is priced at 4,200 yen, student tickets at 2,600 yen. Organizers say a partial move to an indoor facility near the park is under consideration in case of rain. "We'll keep watching the permeation-index forecast alongside the weather right up to the day, coordinating with the civic engagement division the same way we did for the ceremony on Sept. 7," an organizer said. As at that ceremony, bag checks are also planned around the venue.

Some vehicle restrictions are planned around the venue on the day. As previously reported, the Bayside Monorail continues reduced-speed service between Fukagawa and Kameido following further reports of the recurring "umbrella," and organizers are urging visitors to use public transit while discussing additional service with the monorail operator to handle the expected crowds. With tickets possibly selling out, organizers say they are leaning toward not offering same-day sales at all.