Former Nirvana and Foo Fighters Star Dave Grohl Seen at Tokyo Station Platform

Performing live while wearing a T-shirt featuring the rakugo storyteller Katsura Kujaku

In mid-October, around lunchtime, a group of about 20 foreigners stood on the Shinkansen platform at Tokyo Station. At the center of the group was a bearded man wearing a cap and glasses — Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl (56).

“Dave is known as a pioneer of alternative rock and was the drummer for the legendary band Nirvana. When frontman Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994, the band disbanded. Later that year, Dave played every instrument himself—drums, guitar, and bass—and released the album Foo Fighters under that name.

He then gathered band members and took on the roles of guitarist and lead vocalist. In 2001, There Is Nothing Left to Lose won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, marking the start of a remarkable run—31 nominations and 15 wins so far, with total album sales exceeding 32 million copies. In Japan, their 1997 track ‘Monkey Wrench’ from The Colour and the Shape gained fame when it was used in Kirin Beer’s Gokunamacommercial in 2005,” explains a music magazine writer.

Last year marked the 35th anniversary of the band’s formation. This visit to Japan was their first solo tour in 17 years, since 2008, with shows at Saitama Super Arena and Kobe’s G-Lion Arena. The group was spotted on the platform as they waited for their train to Kobe.

“The band performed in Kobe the next day, where Dave appeared on stage wearing a T-shirt printed with the word KUJAKU and an illustration of rakugo storyteller Katsura Kujaku (64).

When Kujaku himself posted on X, ‘It seems the singer from Foo Fighters wore this shirt at his concert today,’ the post went viral, reaching 870,000 impressions. The shirt was originally made as part of a collaboration between Fukuinkan Shoten and TSUTAYA to celebrate the release of the five-volume children’s book series Rakugo Shonen Sadakichi (written by Hirofumi Tanaka),” says the same writer.

That day at Tokyo Station, Dave was wearing a denim shirt—but underneath, a glimpse of fabric matching the “Kujaku T-shirt” could be seen, suggesting he might have been wearing it since the previous day. On social media, fans commented, “I really want that shirt!” and “It’s going to sell out for sure!”

During the concert, Dave delivered a powerhouse performance, electrifying the packed venue. At his next Japan show, the audience might just be filled with fans proudly sporting Kujaku T-shirts.

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