Debut single tops the Oricon weekly chart An audition that changed his life Amid all this, a life-changing audition took place. In the final stages of the extremely competitive race—over 250 applicants for just a few spots—Akimoto appeared before Hashizume and the other candidates. “I hadn’t been told he would show up, so it was a real surprise. Right there, Akimoto-san said, ‘You all will become artists who can perform in arenas, domes, and even Budokan. Keep that image in mind and work hard.’ I remember feeling excited, thinking, ‘If I imagine my future like this, maybe I can actually make it to the domes and Budokan.’” MATSURI won the New Artist Award at the 67th Kagayaku! Japan Record Awards in ’25 and has steadily begun climbing the ladder to stardom. “This is truly an honor beyond what I deserve. I want to express my gratitude from the stage to the fans who have supported us and to all the staff involved. Even though we’re debuting after turning 30, I want to show through our performances that if you don’t give up, you can achieve your dreams. My current goal is to have our own show. Ultimately, we aim to become a group that draws attention not only in Japan but worldwide, and we are working hard every day toward that.” The dazzling era of MATSURI is about to begin.