The 7th Toso-Sambu Music Festival - Class of ’61 Reunion 10th Anniversary Concert - Event Report

The Toso Music Festival, held twice a year in the Toso area of Chiba Prefecture, hosted its 7th event on Sunday, October 27, 2024! It has surely become a well-established tradition in the local community by now.

The venue for the event was the Togane Cultural Hall.
This location is steeped in history, as Tokugawa Ieyasu frequently visited the area for falconry during the Edo period, contributing to its development. With many historical landmarks to explore, a stroll through the town is highly recommended!

As the event began, the organizer, Mr. Ichikawa, took the stage.

‘Toso Music Festival’

This music festival has previously been held in venues across Asahi, Tako, Sanmu, Yokoshiba-Hikari, and Shibayama under this name. However, when it was set to hold the festival at the Togane Cultural Hall this time, the mayor reportedly commented, “Mr. Ichikawa, this isn’t part of Toso, you know...”

This prompted Mr. Ichikawa to brainstorm a term that could represent not only the Toso area he wants to promote but also the surrounding region. After much thought, he came up with the name:

‘"Oku-Chiba’

The t-shirts created specifically for this event featured the four area codes of the region.

Starting from the next event, this music festival will be reborn as the ‘Oku-Chiba Music Festival’, or simply ‘Oku-Chiba Fes.’

What exactly is Oku-Chiba? Mr. Ichikawa shares the thoughts behind the name in a related article.
⇒ Related Article: [Oku-Chiba]

As Mr. Hidehiko Ishizuka humorously interrupted with a playful “You’re talking too long!” during the explanation of event guidelines, the live performances finally kicked off!

Taking the stage were members of the “Class of ’61”—a group of professional musicians born between April 2, 1961, and April 1, 1962, and peers of the event’s organizer, Mr. Ichikawa.

Audiences were treated to professional renditions of iconic hits from the 1960s to the 1980s.

The last time the Class of ’61 performed, it was during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic—a frustrating time for live music with strict bans on audience singing. But this time, attendees were free to fully enjoy the rock classics of yesteryear!

“Everyone, sing along! If you start singing from the first song, it’ll be easier as the show goes on!”
With these words, lead vocalist Ippei Onoe kicked things off!

The performance opened with the Bay City Rollers’ “Saturday Night” and Kiss’s “Rock and Roll All Nite,” instantly heating up the atmosphere.

Every song was a familiar hit from the first note, with band members rotating for each piece.
Each new song announcement brought cheers of “We’ve been waiting for this!” along with applause and whistles from the audience.

After an intense, high-energy lineup, there was a moment to catch a breath. Ryoko Nishi took the stage, delivering a refreshing interlude with her vocals on one of Olivia Newton-John’s breezy tracks.

The next highlight came with Miho Fujiwara, whose charming looks contrasted with her incredible, powerful voice, as she performed “Hotel California”. The audience was captivated, especially during the mesmerizing interplay of guitar solos in the song’s iconic ending.

At this point, the vocalists took a brief break.

An instrumental set followed, performed by Hank Nishiyama, Masanori Inagaki, Kiichiro Akui, Takeshi Ishikawa, Yoshitaka Kuratomi, and Shinichi Ichikawa. Their sophisticated sound painted a vision of a metropolitan skyline right in the Togane Cultural Hall—it was as if skyscrapers had appeared before our eyes.

The technical and glamorous performance momentarily made the audience forget they were in Oku-Chiba. Considering the rising costs of concert tickets these days, it felt almost unbelievable to experience such a high-caliber stage at this price.

Guest Time!
The first guest was Kanako Maki (formerly Kanako Wada), a resident of nearby Isumi City.

“Tomorrow is my birthday!”

After everyone sang her a cheerful “Happy Birthday,” she delivered two theme songs from popular anime series. The choreography was a bit challenging, but she gave it her all!

“Tom Cruise is a year younger than us.”
Next, Hidehiko Ishizuka took the stage, bringing plenty of laughs and he passionately sang a beloved hit by his idol, Kiyoshiro Imawano.

Finally, introduced by Mr. Ichikawa with the words, “We’re the same age, but no one can match his career!” was Akira from Finger 5.
With hits that had everyone from his generation on their feet, the crowd reached a fever pitch of excitement!

Changing the mood entirely was Tetsu Sugihara’s solo performance, singing and playing guitar. Having seen him perform on stage several times before, I can confidently say he’s one of my favorite artists.

Capturing the “bird flying out of the hat” moment was a must!
For the second song, he treated the audience to a band arrangement of that wonderfully mature track, adding a fresh twist to the performance.

“Who’s singing next?”
This casual banter among ‘classmates’ lightened the atmosphere, creating a warm and relaxed vibe. The audience followed suit, raising their hands enthusiastically as the show went on.
The second half turned into a standing affair, with everyone swaying to the beat of the rock and disco-infused performances.

Making his first appearance this time was Kazuo Shimizu, known for his work as a researcher of Brian May’s signature Queen sound. He delivered an impressive guitar solo, followed by a powerful rendition of “We Will Rock You!”

The grand finale brought the house down with electrifying performances of songs by Deep Purple and Journey, closing the night on a spectacular high note!

The 7th edition raced through without missing a beat!
Feeling refreshed in both mind and body, I was reminded once again how great live music is for your health as I headed home.

This music festival always delivers fresh and exciting stages, adding new elements each time.

The next event is scheduled for April 27, 2025! Rock in Asahi returns with a thrilling two-band rock lineup featuring Baraka and Diamond Shake!

Stay tuned for details on the 0479 Club website.