"For you who love Ryugujo": A vision of the future that surpasses the past, presented at the 2-day arena live shows
Ryugujo's arena one-man live, "Ryugujo ARENA LIVE 2026 -SHIBAI-," was held on Feb. 28 and March 1 at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO in Tokyo.
Performances with different setlists for two days
Last year, Ryugujo graduated from the production system led by Avu-chan (of Jooubachi) and embarked on self-produced activities. In October, they released the EP "SHIBAI," and this February, they released their second album "SHIBAI (deluxe)," which added new songs to the EP, further accelerating their momentum under the new system. At these arena live shows, which were sold out on both days, they presented a setlist that covered songs from their debut to their latest album, arranged in completely different orders for each day. They delighted the gathered fans with performances that included solo instrumental segments and a variety of visual effects. This article reports on the performance from today, March 1.
As the show began, the seven members of Ryugujo appeared amidst loud cheers and took their seats at a long table on the main stage. After a moment of silence, they began to sing "WALTZ." The audience watched with bated breath, captivated by a performance that seemed to perfectly recreate the world of the music video. With a solemn afterglow lingering, Yuki Tomita shouted, "Let's begin, arena!" and they launched into a series of high-energy numbers, "Mr. FORTUNE" and "BLOODY LULLABY." The audience responded to the seven members' aggressive and passionate performance by waving their purple penlights and cheering.
A wide range of performances, from member-choreographed dances to a "sushi-taking game
After KEIGO declared, "We connect through clashing, and we sing for you who love Ryugujo. We will deliver everything you seek in Ryugujo's music—courage, peace, and passion," the seven moved to the center stage to give a dynamic performance of "LATE SHOW." Following a brilliant dance performance synchronized with the lighting, which the members choreographed themselves, they delivered the heavy world of their new song "OMAJINAI" from "SHIBAI (deluxe)," overwhelming the audience.
While "RONDO" and "Rei Rei" demonstrated the seven's solid growth with their deep vocals, they also captivated the audience with grand productions unique to an arena live. ITARU, Ray, Saiki, and S changed into kimono-style outfits and performed with Japanese umbrellas. As the audience was mesmerized by their elegant dance, Tomita, KENT, and KEIGO appeared behind them, singing and dancing to "Kinku" with fans in hand, filling the arena with a bewitching atmosphere. However, in the following song "SEAFOOD," the mood shifted to a playful segment where Ray, Haruku Saiki, and S, after making grandiose pronouncements, competed in a "sushi-taking game"—a spin on musical chairs—for a single piece of sushi. S was the winner on the first day, the 28th, but on the second day, Saiki brilliantly secured victory. Saiki then leisurely savored the sushi under the gaze of a visibly frustrated Ray and an envious S, drawing laughter from the fans.
Our future that surpasses the Budokan
During "Mr. FORTUNE (MIC relay ver.)," the seven members walked through the arena, bathing in the tremendous cheers of the audience while delivering powerful rap verses. Returning to the main stage, they performed the new song "Girari" with defiant smiles, then reflected on the whirlwind first half of the show during an MC session. S looked out at the audience, dyed in purple, and said, "I want to burn this amazing view into my memory so I'll never forget it." It was revealed that Saiki had not won the sushi-taking game at all through rehearsals, the dress rehearsal, or the first day's performance, and that today was his first victory. As Saiki celebrated, shouting "Finally!", Ray exposed the behind-the-scenes secret: "This actually isn't random, you know. The PA staff is watching from the side. They're like, 'Who should we pick?' [to stop the music]..." The seven then went on to chat about their relaxed time in the dressing room, delighting the fans.
At the end of the MC, KENT spoke on behalf of the members, reflecting on their journey to this day: "Whenever we were asked about our enthusiasm for this, we always said, 'We will surpass the Budokan.' From the moment the Budokan show ended, we've been thinking about making this one year even more intense than the two years from '0-nen 0-gumi' to the Budokan." He continued, "But during rehearsals, I realized we're in no position to be fighting with the past. We can't allow ourselves to maintain the status quo or lose to our past, but what I can't forgive the most is clinging to past glories and being afraid. So today, of course we will surpass the Budokan, but I want to put on a show that makes you excited for our future beyond that." With a strong gaze, he shared his determination for the second half. As if to embody those words, the seven performed "Okibi," which featured dazzling lighting and theatrical choreography, and "SAIGI," which was colored by vivid laser beams. Through these new songs, they impressed upon their fans a vision of Ryugujo's future.
KEIGO on guitar, Ray on piano! A new announcement at the end
The solo instrumental performances by each member, which were popular at last year's Budokan live, were presented in a new form this time. For "JAPANESE PSYCHO," KEIGO sang passionately while shredding an electric guitar, also showing off some brilliant tapping during the interlude. For the unit song "Yonaki" by ITARU, Tomita, and Ray, Ray played the piano, coloring the song's world with a tone that was at times gentle, at times powerful.
After an interlude video that comically zoomed in on KEIGO, KENT, S, and Saiki, who had finished their costume changes during the three-member performance, the live show finally headed into its final stretch. The seven members powered through a series of numbers from various periods, as if to summarize their journey so far, from recent tracks like "Akkanbe" and "SUGAR" to songs like "Urashima" and "DEEP WAVE." The audience let out a huge cheer for the intro to "Kaen," which rang out as flames shot up on stage. KEIGO's high-tone vocals, the rap exchange between ITARU and Tomita, and the heavy bass beat shook the arena, causing the temperature inside to rise rapidly. The final number that concluded the two-day live event was "OSHIBAI." As ITARU added the final words, "Ryugujo will keep delivering. We'll keep delivering music on this stage," the seven, having given their all for two days, departed from the stage.
As the audience applauded, soaking in the afterglow, a performance video of a new song appeared on screen, with the seven singing, "Keep drowning in the sound, more." Furthermore, it was announced one after another that they would release a new EP this summer, hold a one-man tour to support it, and hold fan club events in Tokyo and Osaka. The venue erupted in excitement, bringing the two-day live event to a close.
Setlist
"Ryugujo ARENA LIVE 2026 -SHIBAI-" March 1, 2026, at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO
01. WALTZ
02. Mr. FORTUNE
03. BLOODY LULLABY
04. LATE SHOW
05. OMAJINAI
06. RONDO
07. Rei Rei
08. Kinku
09. SEAFOOD
10. Ryoken
11. Mr. FORTUNE (MIC relay ver.)
12. Girari
13. Okibi
14. SAIGI
15. SHORYU (→↓↘+P)
16. JAPANESE PSYCHO
17. Yohaku
18. Yonaki
19. Akkanbe
20. Urashima
21. SUGAR
22. DEEP WAVE
23. BOYFRIEND
24. Kaen
25. 2 MUCH
26. Egure Mekure
27. OSHIBAI
Source: Music Natalie
*This content has been translated from Japanese into English using machine translation. We apologize for any mistakes in the current version, and will update accordingly.