PIKOTARO teams up with MINA (MAX) for an Okinawan comic dance track

With the countdown to the 10th anniversary of “PPAP” entering its final stretch, PIKOTARO is closing in on the end of his monthly Tottemo Release 80.8 series – and the latest installment leans fully into the unexpected.

Blending humour, regional identity and personal moments in a way that only PIKOTARO can, Tottemo Release 80.8 (09) continues the countdown to August. As comedian Kosaka Daimaou puts it, “The TR-80.8 project has only three releases left!! We’ve really come this far, me and PIKOTARO! Every track was made with everything we’ve got!”

At the center of this release is “ME BAI to KATAKASHI feat. MINA (MAX)”, an Okinawa-inspired track that plays with language, memory and meaning. Built around Okinawan island dialect, the song reflects on the words one carries after leaving home, before flipping that sentiment on its head. Its central phrase “ME BAI to KATAKASHI” sounds poetic, but is in fact the name of a fish found in Okinawa.

The track leans into PIKOTARO’s signature surrealism, threading in lines like “Who was that guy yesterday?” and “The cat is holding a gecko in its mouth”, creating a strange but compelling contrast between nostalgia and absurdity. MINA’s vocals bring clarity and strength to the mix, grounding the track even as it veers into the unexpected. “It’s funny, cute, and cool, piko! Island dialect is so hard, piko!!!” PIKOTARO adds, capturing the chaotic charm at the heart of the song.

The collaboration itself has been years in the making. As MINA shares, “This project started when I had lunch with Kosaka Daimaou at an avex café in 2019. Even though we almost gave up on it during the pandemic, it has now evolved and is finally being released.” She describes the track as “a powerful and playful” piece created under the theme of delivering “music and smiles to the world,” adding, “You don’t need meaning – just enjoy the fun!”

Alongside its offbeat centerpiece is “mamadaisuki feat. Tami-tan, Onee-tan, Imouto-tan”, a love song from children to their mother set to the melody of “Neko Funjatta,” arriving ahead of Mother’s Day as a warm, family-themed track. Reflecting on it, PIKOTARO shares, “Collaborating with Tami-tan and my daughters somehow makes me cry, piko – it’s a masterpiece!!”

The project continues to expand its scope with new additions to the “Prefecture Song” series, this time spotlighting Japan’s Chugoku region across five tracks – Shimane, Yamaguchi, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Tottori.

As Tottemo Release 80.8 moves toward its conclusion, the project feels both expansive and personal – shifting between humour, nostalgia, and unpredictability without losing its core spirit. With only a few releases left, PIKOTARO isn’t slowing down. If anything, the series is tightening its grip, building toward a finale that promises to be just as unconventional as the journey that led here.