Tokyo's Coolest Sound

This week was the release of Saori@destiny's new mini-album "Domestic domain", and she is doing a series of mini live shows at Shosen Book Tower, a book and entertainment store in Akihabara.

I went to the event on the 3rd day, Thursday June 16, held up on the 9th floor which has a small event space that must have capacity for about 50 people. Today some 30 fans turned up, not too bad for a rainy day.

Saori performed on the tiny stage, wearing a mixed patterns black and white top with glittery silver short pants, and a headband with feathers like on her latest artist photo. Her hair had changed though, it was a much lighter brown.

Tonight was a special press conference for idol groups Vanilla Beans and Negicco, held at Tower Records Shibuya's Stage One venue downstairs. It was in a way open to the public, you had to apply by email and the lucky ones got an invitation postcard the day before the event. I was one of them!

The big announcement was that Tower Records' president Minewaki Ikuo (he's only been president since March, but he first joined the company in 1988), who is an authentic idol otaku himself, has started a new label called T-Palette Records that will release CDs by various idol groups.

The event was MC'd by interviewer Yoshida Gō, who first talked with the president about the new label. They then proceeded to present the two units, with who they talked about their upcoming releases. Each girl was also offered a black Tower Records apron and name badge which they wore for a photo shoot.

Vanilla Beans