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