The Beatles concerts in Japan
From June 30 to July 2 of 1966, the Beatles performed five concerts at the Budokan arena in the Japanese capitol of Tokyo. The band’s arrival in Japan, originally due for June 28, was greatly delayed by a hurricane, and they did not land in the country until 3 AM of the following day. All told, the five concerts attracted 25,000 fans, with all shows selling out, and the telecast delivered an astounding 60% television rating. This was reported heavily in the Japanese media, who characterized the unexpected fan frenzy as a “Beatles hurricane,” obviously referring to the weather that preceded their arrival.
The concerts inspired many Japanese youths to pick up a guitar, giving rise to a flourishing band scene the likes of which the country had never seen before. This played a big role in the transformations that the Japanese music scene went through during the 1970s. Incidentally, these concerts marked the first time that the Budokan arena, a venue originally dedicated to traditional martial arts competitions, was used for a musical event. The arena is now considered sacred grounds for rock music.
Set list
1. Rock And Roll Music
2. She’s A Woman
3. If I Needed Someone
4. Day Tripper
5. Baby’s in Black
6. I Feel Fine
7. Yesterday
8. I Wanna Be Your Man
9. Nowhere Man
10. Paperback Writer
11. I’m Down
Author: Tetsuo Hamada
Quotes
Facts
Comments
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I'mOnlySleeping91 on 21st Aug 10:
“I thought they only recorded the 30th June show at Budokan. The show where they performed with Black suits and red shirts. What was the date of the video taken in the related video section?”
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Mr.Beatlemaniac on 5th Jul 10:
“the best concert......”
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Big Dawg on 24th Jun 10:
“I have this concert on cd,my favorie tracks are Nowhere Man,Yesterday & If INeeded Someone.After the concert is the interview.”
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yesterdayloves on 9th Apr 10:
“I wish i was there :(”
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johnfan on 4th Jan 10:
“cool, japan is cool...”
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marydean on 18th Dec 09:
“this was one of the greatest tour that the Beatles made!”
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drum_starr on 22nd Nov 09:
“Ii desu ne. Boku wa Beatles ga suki desu yo. I Feel Fine no uta wa Ii desu yo.”
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NellieOApple on 25th Sep 09:
“Konnichiwa!
Sacred grounds for rock music--that is quite religious and of course the religion is either shinto or buddhist--correct me if I'm wrong!
The setlist is fantastic! I love them all. Hai” - Sign in or create a free account to comment on this page.
