Okazaki Taiiku Apologizes for Live Tour Chaos, Caught on Camera in Casual Neighborhood Style with Trainer
It was a little past noon in late March when a cold rain was pouring down, delaying the declaration of the start of the blooming season. Singer-songwriter Tetsu Okazaki, 34, was traveling with his manager at Haneda Airport in Tokyo with a carry-on case in tow.
He was wearing unseasonal half pants and a white shirt sticking out from under his sweatshirt. His aura was completely muted by his neighborhood style, and no one seemed to notice him, even though he is one of the most popular artists of our time.
“After graduating from Doshisha University, Okazaki quit the company he joined as a new graduate after six months to pursue a career as a professional musician. He made his major debut in May 2016 with the album ‘BASIN TECHNO,’ and the music video for the song ‘MUSIC VIDEO’ included in it became a topic of conversation. This video, where Okazaki acts out the lyrics, won the ‘New Face Award’ in the Entertainment Division at the 20th Japan Media Arts Festival the following year. It has been viewed approximately 48 million times (as of April 16).”
In recent years, he has expanded his activities as an actor, making his debut in the NHK Taiga Drama “What Will You Do, Ieyasu” last year. His nationwide tour, Zepp Tour 2024, just started on April 14. However, on April 9, just before that, Okazaki apologized for causing confusion with tour-related information on his X account (formerly Twitter).
“On the 8th, Okazaki announced on X about the live tour, saying, ‘We will have a Kids Area this time! Families with children can come to the live show with peace of mind! Don’t miss this opportunity!!! Let’s gather! Even those who were born not long ago!’ However, the live show itself did not allow preschool-aged children to enter, causing confusion among fans with comments like, ‘Doesn’t ‘those who were born not long ago’ include infants?’
Okazaki quickly corrected himself, saying, ‘There was a problem with calling it the Kids Area. It was the Elementary School Area,’ ‘I apologize.’ While the idea of having a Kids Area was good, it required a bit more attention to detail.”
Okazaki serves as Taiiku-niichan on the children’s program Kodomo Chousen Variety Iro Iro (Yomiuri TV), and he is quite popular among children. It’s said that there are quite a few fans who visit his live shows with their families. His fashion sense and quick correction and apology further exemplify his down-to-earth personality.
We look forward to his spring live tour, which will continue until June 2nd.
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