Most likely shrouded in purple, though each member has their particular shade to harmonize them into the ‘Sweetest Tune,’ Travis Japan is one of the hottest J-Pop groups on Japanese soil with a staggering 1.1 million Instagram followers! Though amiss, their dazzling suites on America’s Got Talent for their contestant stint, they’ve yet to tour here. We say “yet,” highlighting the word with the same color shading as they’re bringing their Road to A Tour to Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York later this year in October. And there’s already a buzz in the air, not just from our hive nor the fuzzed creature swarming the first frame of the tune. Instead, because each date is already sold out, making the prowl for tickets harder after you’ve read our conversation with them!
Regardless, we chatted with Chaka, Umi, Shime, Noel, Shizu, Genta, and Machu about which American food will send their tastebuds into a flaming competition per another round of their Big Eat Challenges. Additionally, which soundbite from their discography will spice up our otherwise grim household chores and many more things that’ll make you as smiley as they are!
Introductory To Travis Japan
How would you describe your sound and style to someone new to Travis Japan and J-POP?
Chaka: I think we’re something like ‘Neo J-Pop.’ With Japan in our very name, we are well aware of the responsibility we have to represent Japan and Japanese popular culture both here and overseas, but Japan is a huge place with lots of different ideas and styles, so the concept of ‘Japanese Pop’ is not really as limited as some might assume. We all listen to lots of different music and consciously and unconsciously absorb it into our own performances, and our songs themselves are a mixture of Japanese and English. So, while for the lack of a better descriptor, we are part of J-Pop, we are also part of the full scope of what Japanese popular culture is, which can be manifested in many different ways.
What is Travis Japan’s greatest strength as a group of seven?
Machu: All seven of us are passionate about everything we do, so when we create something, our opinions are taken to the very heart of the issue, and the seven of us can create it without any compromise, which I think is our particular strength. It’s the spirit of indefatigable unity that makes Travis Japan who we are.
‘Sweetest Tune’
Your style is so colorful and fun, especially in ‘Sweetest Tune!’ If you could describe Travis Japan with a color from the rainbow, which would you choose?
Chaka: Purple. Our group color has been purple ever since our days doing live shows together with other Juniors as a way to make sure everyone’s costumes, microphones, and other equipment didn’t get mixed up or lost, so it’s been a part of our development for as long as we’ve been a unit. I don’t think there was any special reason purple was chosen originally, but over time it’s come to mean a great deal, both to us and our fans. Purple is a mixed color, combining the hot of red with the cool of blue, so it can represent a wide range of aspects, just like the seven of us. In that way, we’re like a rainbow ourselves, and when we get together and practice, we merge to become a nice, bright shade of purple!
In the ‘Sweetest Tune’ video, all the members are spicing up some everyday tasks that we all do at home. What other songs from your discography would you recommend turning up and dancing to while doing these chores?
Shime: I recommend all our songs! Just put on a playlist, and the work will become exponentially more bearable, no matter how much you’re dreading it. We’ve got a wide variety of styles; some songs you can ride to and some smoother ballads, but all the songs have one thing in common: they make you happy and enrich your soul, giving out plenty of energy for housework in the process.
Road to A World Tour
Travis Japan has been around for a while but is now starting to make international waves, especially with Western audiences. What has been the biggest challenge in marketing and breaking into these different markets?
Noel: Airplanes! Or, more specifically, the distance between Japan and anywhere else. If it were possible to travel anywhere instantaneously, like the famous “door to anywhere” from Doraemon, it would be a lot easier, but alas, even the shortest journey still takes about 10 or 12 hours just to get into another country, which is an incredibly high barrier. It would be amazing if some fantastic inventor could make something that helps shorten the trip!
What do you think makes J-pop so appealing to global audiences? How is engaging with an international audience? Is there a difference from a domestic fan base?
Chaka: I don’t think there’s necessarily much of a difference between domestic and international fans. Of course, there is always a slight barrier between fans of a piece of entertainment done in one’s native language versus when it’s not, not just because of the lyrics but the overall unique culture it’s tied to that international audiences may or may not intuitively understand. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
We now live in a world where people can have direct access to all kinds of content from different cultures and languages, and the fun of learning something different and unique beyond what you know natively is a major part of why people seek it out. As I said in the previous question, Travis Japan has always felt a sense of responsibility and pride to share our form of Japanese entertainment with the world, and the fact that so many J-Pop artists of late are helping to add to that introduction spurs us on even more.
Congratulations on selling out all of your US tour dates! How exciting! You’ve made many eating challenge videos for YouTube, both in the United States and back in Japan. Do you plan to do more with the other places on your upcoming tour?
Umi: Oh, I don’t want to think about that. Those videos are always run right up until we start to feel the effects of eating that much of a single type of food. But still, I know Shizu wants to try for a revenge match with hamburgers, so we’ll see. Our staff told us that New York is famous for pizza, and I see “New York Steak” on menus a lot, so maybe we’ll see if we can work that into any YouTube filming time we have abroad.
Future Plans
Is there another country you wish you could visit and hold a concert in someday?
Umi: I would love to go have a show in Paris. I’ve heard Japanese culture is popular in France, and I’ve even received letters from French fans addressed to our Family Club, so it would be nice to go and see what it’s like in person.
What has been your career’s biggest or most monumental moment so far? Is there any experience you wish you were able to relive?
Shizu: I think it was the time we spent training in the United States. Each of us probably underwent the biggest transformation of our entire careers. There are plenty of fond memories, but we definitely had our share of fights and arguments. Thanks to all that, our bond became stronger and was a perfect lead-up to finally debuting.
Looking at the track of your career, the members do not only sing, dance, and perform but also explore acting and doing variety. Do you still have something you want to explore and venture into in the future? What are the goals Travis Japan wants to achieve?
Genta: I can’t think of anything specific because just doing many different things is the point in and of itself. We want to make the most of each individual personality and bring those experiences back to all our different live shows to give our fans something that’s constantly building upon this growth.
We absolutely loved chatting with Travis Japan! What track from their discography are you most excited to hear on tour besides ‘Sweetest Tune?’ Let us know on one of our social media, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAVIS JAPAN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER
