TOMONARI SORA Releases Hypnotic New Single “宵祭り - Yoimatsuri ”

Rising J-pop artist and self-described "pop killer of the Reiwa era" TOMONARI SORA just dropped his latest single “宵祭り - Yoimatsuri”. This hypnotic track fuses traditional Japanese sounds with modern pop, capturing the haunting beauty of a summer night festival filled with memories, myths, and fireworks.

Originally teased via a demo in July 2024, the track quickly sparked user-generated content across social platforms, with fans sharing clips evolving around yukata, lanterns, riverbanks, and other nostalgic scenes from Japanese summer traditions. With widespread anticipation building for the past year, the full official release finally arrives — now accompanied by a stunning lyric video animated by totorika × Seeyu Age, featuring riverside lanterns, engawa porches, and supernatural creatures that breathe life into TOMONARI SORA’s poetic storytelling.

Lyrically, the song paints a fantastical “twilight festival” connecting the living and the dead — a gentle, dreamlike prayer to reunite with loved ones in a world suspended between memory and myth. Scenes featuring Daidarabotchi giants in the forest, kappa in the river, distant fireworks, and the chorus of insects evoke Japan’s folkloric roots and emotional landscapes. The result is a slow-burning and deeply spiritual track that softly lights a fire in the listener’s heart.

True to his singular vision, TOMONARI SORA oversaw every creative detail: lyrics, composition, arrangement, mixing, and even the cover art. The release is yet another showcase of his genre-defying style, rooted in Japanese tradition yet always reaching into something new.