a-nation 2025 took place on August 30 and 31 at Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium, continuing its role as one of Japan’s most established summer music festivals. Across two days, the event brought together a broad mix of performers, balancing established names with emerging artists and international acts.
The first day was headlined by XG, who closed the evening with a set that highlighted their bilingual appeal and choreography-driven stage presence. They followed appearances by Spain’s Ana Mena, ITZY’s YEJI, and Korean rapper ZICO, each contributing to the festival’s international dimension. TREASURE and NiziU, two of the most closely watched groups in the K-pop and J-pop crossover sphere, drew significant attention with carefully staged sets. Domestic performers included Novelbright, whose guitar-driven sound contrasted with the more dance-oriented acts, and Hirai Dai, who brought a lighter, pop-infused tone. MAX returned with their familiar dance-pop, while MAZZEL and Daichi Miura presented different takes on current Japanese performance culture, the latter known for blending strong vocals with complex movement. Shooting Acts from I Don’t Like Mondays. and Girls² preceded the main bill, while Terukane and PG opened the day.
The second day carried a different weight, ending with Ayumi Hamasaki’s appearance. Long associated with the a-nation brand, her set combined older material with more recent songs. Ahead of her, the program moved between multiple generations and styles: NCT WISH brought the festival’s K-pop representation to its second day, while Toshinobu Kubota leaned on his long career in soul and funk. THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE and GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE delivered group performances built around dance and vocal interplay, while Da-iCE and GENIC continued in the line of multi-vocal dance units that have gained popularity in recent years. Cho Tokimeki♡Sendenbu represented idol pop, while TRF provided a link back to the 1990s dance boom. Hey! Say! JUMP and NEXZ drew large responses from their respective fanbases, and ONE OR EIGHT rounded out the lineup. Early stage performances came from SHOW-WA & MATSURI and HIKKA as Shooting Acts, with cosmosy and PG handling Opening Act duties.
Production throughout the weekend leaned on large screens, lighting effects, and coordinated staging, but the emphasis remained on variety rather than scale alone. The contrast between solo performers, idol-style groups, and band-oriented acts underlined the festival’s position as a platform for different strands of Japanese and Asian popular music rather than a showcase of a single style.
The event was also streamed live on YouTube, continuing a trend of expanding access beyond the venue and extending its reach to audiences unable to attend in person. For those at Ajinomoto Stadium, the two-day structure once again underscored a-nation’s role as a meeting point of different audiences—those following legacy artists, those drawn by newer groups, and those interested in the increasingly international complexion of the lineup.
As the weekend concluded, a-nation 2025 offered a snapshot of the current state of Japanese pop and its regional connections. With figures like Ayumi Hamasaki and Toshinobu Kubota appearing alongside groups such as XG, TREASURE, and NEXZ, the festival positioned itself not only as a seasonal tradition but also as a reflection of shifting trends in the live music scene.
Photo credit: a-nation 2025 / Official Photographers
Official link:
a-nation 2025 Official Site
