Mrs. GREEN APPLE Pilgrimage: Natsu no Kage Bus Stop and 11 More Places

When Mrs. GREEN APPLE released the music video for ‘Natsu no Kage’ on August 11, 2025, fans from across Japan began visiting a small bus stop beside rice fields in the town of Echizen, Fukui Prefecture. It is where the scene was filmed of the three members holding ice cream and looking at the timetable. At the end of the same year, the group won the Japan Record Award for a third consecutive year with ‘Darling’ and wrapped up its five-major-dome tour at Tokyo Dome.

From the group’s return to activity in 2022 through its first dome show, the youngest stadium tour in Japanese band history, a 10-day residency, and the National Stadium, this guide introduces 12 venues and music-video locations where the three members appeared.

Visit places connected to the trio, from their return concert to stadiums

1Pia Arena MM | The one-night comeback concert on July 8, 2022

Pia Arena MM in Minato Mirai opened on July 10, 2020, with a maximum capacity of 12,141. Due to the effects of COVID-19, its opening was delayed by two and a half months from the original schedule.

On July 8, 2020, the fifth anniversary of its major-label debut, Mrs. GREEN APPLE announced the end of Phase 1 and went on hiatus. About a year and eight months later, in March 2022, the group began Phase 2 with the new song ‘New My Normal’ and its present three-member lineup. On July 8, its debut anniversary, the group held the one-night-only arena concert ‘Utopia’ here to coincide with the release of the mini-album Unity. WOWOW broadcast the show live, bringing it to fans unable to attend.

Keyboardist Ryoka Fujisawa recalled feeling anxious throughout the hiatus, wondering how long the fans would wait. She said she was glad to receive many comments saying ‘Welcome back!’ when the group resumed activity. ‘Dance Hall,’ also included on Unity, was performed that night.

Location

3-2-2 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Connection to the group

‘Utopia,’ the first arena concert after the group returned to activity, on July 8, 2022

Nearest stations

7-minute walk from Minatomirai Station on the Minatomirai Line; 8-minute walk from JR Sakuragicho Station

Facility

Opened in July 2020, with a maximum capacity of 12,141. No parking lot.

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | ‘Utopia’ announcement and interview with the three members
UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
Yokohama Official Visitors Guide | Pia Arena MM

2Saitama Super Arena | The opening of the largest arena tour, for the group’s 10th anniversary

Standing in front of Saitama-Shintoshin Station, Saitama Super Arena is marked by the white framework of its roof rising into the sky. Since April 2026, it has been known by the nickname GMO Arena Saitama; the venue is closed through the end of March 2027 for major renovations. On July 8 and 9, 2023, the 10th anniversary of their formation, Mrs. GREEN APPLE opened ‘ARENA TOUR 2023 “NOAH no HAKOBUNE”’ here.

The group had released its first full-length album in four years, ANTENNA, on July 5, just before the tour; July 8 was also the anniversary of its debut. The tour continued at Osaka-jō Hall on July 15–16 and Aichi Sky Expo on August 3–4, becoming the group’s largest arena tour to that point. Footage of the July 9 show, the second day, was released with a 76-minute documentary.

Location

8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama City, Saitama

Connection to the group

Opening shows of the NOAH no HAKOBUNE arena tour, July 8–9, 2023

Nearest station

Connected to JR Saitama-Shintoshin Station by a second-floor pedestrian deck

Current status

Closed for major renovations through the end of March 2027. Nicknamed GMO Arena Saitama beginning April 2026.

Sources:UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
THE FIRST TIMES | NOAH no HAKOBUNE and Atlantis video releases
Saitama Prefecture | New nickname for Saitama Super Arena: GMO Arena Saitama
Travel Watch | Naming and renovation plans

3Belluna Dome | The first dome concerts, Atlantis, in August 2023

Belluna Dome (Seibu Dome) stands in the Sayama Hills of Tokorozawa, Saitama, its roof appearing to float above the stadium. The week after completing the NOAH tour, Mrs. GREEN APPLE held its first dome shows, ‘DOME LIVE 2023 “Atlantis,”’ here on August 12 and 13, 2023. Approximately 70,000 people attended over the two days.

At the end of that year, ‘Que Sera Sera’ won the Japan Record Award. The official channel has footage of the group performing ‘Que Sera Sera’ at Belluna Dome. The August 13 show, the second night, was released as a video on January 12, 2024, together with a 74-minute documentary.

Location

2135 Kamiyamaguchi, Tokorozawa, Saitama

Connection to the group

The group’s first dome concerts, ‘Atlantis,’ held August 12–13, 2023

Nearest station

Next to Seibu-Kyujomae Station on the Seibu Sayama and Yamaguchi Lines

Video release

Blu-ray and DVD containing the August 13 show went on sale January 12, 2024.

Sources:UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
THE FIRST TIMES | Atlantis video release
Real Sound | The group’s road to stadium shows and dome attendance

4New National Theatre, Tokyo | The venue where Mrs. GREEN APPLE received the Japan Record Award three years in a row

New National Theatre, Tokyo, in Hatsudai, is a national theater for opera, ballet, and plays. At the presentation of Kagayaku! Japan Record Awards held here on December 30, 2025, Mrs. GREEN APPLE won the Grand Prize for a third consecutive year.

The group won with ‘Que Sera Sera’ in 2023 and ‘Lilac’ in 2024, becoming the first band to win in consecutive years. The 2025 Grand Prize went to ‘Darling.’ This third consecutive win made them only the third act in history to achieve the feat, following Ayumi Hamasaki and EXILE.

Location

1-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Connection to the group

Venue where the group’s third consecutive Japan Record Award win was announced on December 30, 2025

Nearest station

Directly connected to Hatsudai Station on the Keio New Line

Visiting

Only performance attendees may enter the theater. The exterior and surrounding plaza are open for visitors to walk around.

Sources:Real Sound | Announcement of the 67th Japan Record Awards
Real Sound | Expectations for a third consecutive win and past consecutive winners
Natalie | Mrs. GREEN APPLE history

5NHK Hall | Three consecutive Kōhaku appearances beginning in 2023

NHK Hall faces Park Avenue in Shibuya and is the venue for the New Year’s Eve broadcast of the NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Mrs. GREEN APPLE made its first appearance on the 74th edition in 2023, performing ‘Dance Hall.’

At the 75th Kōhaku in 2024, the group performed ‘Ao to Natsu ~ Lilac Kōhaku SP’ as a two-song medley, then returned for its third consecutive appearance on the 76th edition in 2025. ‘Dance Hall’ was released in the year the group resumed activities and became its fastest song to surpass 400 million plays.

Location

2-2-1 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Connection to the group

Three consecutive Kōhaku appearances, beginning with the 74th edition in 2023

Nearest stations

About a 10-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station; about a 15-minute walk from JR Shibuya Station

Visiting

Only performance attendees may enter the hall

Sources:UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
All About News | Appearance on the 76th Kōhaku

6Noevir Stadium Kobe | The youngest band in Japan to hold a stadium tour, in July 2024

Noevir Stadium Kobe, in Misaki Park in Hyogo-ku, Kobe, has a white roof covering the stands. On July 6 and 7, 2024, Mrs. GREEN APPLE began its stadium tour ‘Zenjin Mitō to Welttraum ~Meimei-hen~’ here. It marked the youngest band in Japan to hold a stadium tour.

Across four shows at the two venues in Kobe and Yokohama, every venue with capacity above 30,000 sold out, and the tour drew approximately 150,000 people. ‘Apollodorus,’ performed at the Kobe show on July 7, was TV Asahi’s 2024 sports support song. Footage of the performance is available on the group’s official channel.

‘Zenjin Mitō’ is a self-produced concert series that began before the group’s major-label debut. The first show, in 2014, was held at LUSH, a live music venue in Shibuya with room for just over 200 people. The members reportedly sold tickets themselves, but they did not sell out. Ten years later, a show under the same series name had reached a stadium.

Location

1-2-2 Misakicho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo

Connection to the group

Opening shows of the ‘Zenjin Mitō to Welttraum ~Meimei-hen~’ stadium tour, July 6–7, 2024

Nearest station

About a 5-minute walk from Misaki-Koen Station on the Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line

Sources:UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
Real Sound | The group’s road to stadium shows

7Yokohama Stadium | The final stop of the stadium tour

Yokohama Stadium, inside Yokohama Park, is the home field of the professional baseball team Yokohama DeNA BayStars. On July 20 and 21, 2024, Mrs. GREEN APPLE held the final shows of its stadium tour here.

The stadium is a short walk through the park’s trees from Kannai Station, and visitors can walk around the perimeter on non-event days. A year later, on July 26 and 27, 2025, the group held its 10th-anniversary outdoor concert FJORD at a temporary site at Yokohama’s Yamashita Pier, drawing 100,000 people over two days. The venue had been built specifically for the concerts. On the final day, a display with 1,200 drones drew pictures in the night sky, and Motoki Ohmori called out to the audience, ‘I love you!’

Location

Yokohama Park, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Connection to the group

Final shows of the ‘Zenjin Mitō to Welttraum ~Meimei-hen~’ stadium tour, July 20–21, 2024

Nearest stations

About a 2-minute walk from JR Kannai Station or a 3-minute walk from Nihon-ōdōri Station on the Minatomirai Line

Sources:UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
Natalie | 10th-anniversary outdoor concert at Yamashita Pier
Oricon News | Production on the final day of FJORD

8K-Arena Yokohama | The 10-day residency and CEREMONY

K-Arena Yokohama, along the Katabira River in Minato Mirai, opened on September 29, 2023, as a music-focused arena. It has 20,033 seats and is considered one of the largest arenas in the world.

In fall 2024, Mrs. GREEN APPLE held its residency, ‘Mrs. GREEN APPLE on “Harmony,”’ here. The initial announcement was for eight days in October, the first eight-day run at K-Arena Yokohama. Two additional shows were later added for November 19 and 20, bringing the run to 10 shows.

The arena seats about 20,000 people per show. In June 2025, the group also held the entertainment show Mrs. GREEN APPLE presents CEREMONY here. A sequel, Mrs. GREEN APPLE on “Harmony2,” is scheduled to run here from February 20 to June 2, 2027. The run will double the number of shows to 20, with expected attendance of approximately 400,000. From Pia Arena MM, the first location in this guide, the two venues can be visited on foot through Minato Mirai.

Location

Minato Mirai 6-chome, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Connection to the group

The 10-show Harmony residency in October–November 2024, CEREMONY in June 2025, and the planned 20-show Harmony2 residency from February to June 2027

Nearest stations

5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Shin-Takashima Station on the Minatomirai Line; 11-minute walk from the east exit of JR Yokohama Station

Sources:UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN | Mrs. GREEN APPLE profile
Natalie | Mrs. GREEN APPLE history
Ropping Life | K-Arena Yokohama opening and access
Real Sound | Eight-day residency at K-Arena Yokohama
Mrs. GREEN APPLE official site | Additional Harmony shows
Fashion Press | Harmony2 dates and number of shows

9Fukutetsu Bus Shimokawaraguchi Stop | The bus stop where the trio sat in the ‘Natsu no Kage’ music video

Along National Route 365 in Echizen, Fukui, near Echizen Pottery Village, a small wooden shelter marks the Fukutetsu Bus stop at Shimokawaraguchi. Rice fields and mountain ridges spread out behind it. This is the bus stop where the three members ate ice cream, looked at the timetable, and sat on a bench in the ‘Natsu no Kage’ music video, released August 11, 2025.

According to Echizen’s tourism website, the location was quickly identified from the bus-stop sign and shelter. After the video’s release, many fans came from inside and outside the prefecture; on August 15 during the Obon holiday, people reportedly kept arriving to take commemorative photos. The video is said to have been filmed in several locations in Fukui, not only Echizen. Materials from Ono City also preserve a city employee’s account that many people visited pilgrimage sites after filming.

Echizen’s tourism website presents a view of the entire Oda district, where the video was filmed, in a photo taken from Eboshiyama Observatory. After visiting the bus stop, you may also want to look out over the town and its rice fields from the observatory.

‘Natsu no Kage’ was written as a commercial song for KIRIN Gogo no Kocha (Afternoon Tea). Vocalist Motoki Ohmori handled the concept and planning for the music video. The director is credited as Takashi Tomohisa.

Location

Shimokawara, Echizen-cho, Nyu District, Fukui (along National Route 365)

Connection to the group

Filming location for the ‘Natsu no Kage’ music video, released August 11, 2025

Getting there

Fukutetsu local buses stop here. By car, it is near Echizen Pottery Village.

When visiting

This is an active bus stop used by local residents. Do not block the shelter or enter the rice fields or private property.

Sources:Echizen Tourism Navi | ‘Natsu no Kage’ music-video location
Fukui Shimbun | Fans visiting the bus stop
Ono City | Using Ono as a music-video filming location (inquiry-based learning resource)

10Vantelin Dome Nagoya | The five-major-dome tour BABEL no TOH begins

On October 25, 2025, Mrs. GREEN APPLE opened its largest tour to date, the five-major-dome DOME TOUR 2025 ‘BABEL no TOH,’ at Vantelin Dome Nagoya. At the opening show, the group also announced production of ELYSIUM, the sequel to its live-series storyline.

The tour continued a story that began with the group’s first arena tour, EDEN no SONO, in 2019, and carried on through NOAH no HAKOBUNE and Atlantis. It also visited the domes in Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, before reaching Tokyo Dome in December, for a total of 12 shows.

Location

1-1-1 Daikōminami, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi

Connection to the group

Opening show of the five-major-dome tour BABEL no TOH on October 25, 2025

Nearest station

About a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Nagoya Dome-mae Yada Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijo Line

Sources:Natalie | BABEL no TOH opening show and announcement of ELYSIUM
THE FIRST TIMES | Opening of BABEL no TOH

11Tokyo Dome | The tour finale with the 20-meter Tower of Babel

BABEL no TOH ended at Tokyo Dome on December 20, 2025. A massive Tower of Babel stood on the stage, approximately 20 meters high and weighing around 100 tons. The elaborate set recreated the ancient city of Babylon, and more than 100 cast members joined in performing the story.

The first song was ‘Love me, Love you,’ followed by ‘CHEERS,’ when the group toasted with 50,000 people. During ‘Feeling,’ colorful balloons were released into the arena, and cast members entered the audience area, making the venue feel like a city of its own. The planned total attendance for the tour was 550,000. It brought together the storyline that began with EDEN no SONO in 2019 and marked the close of Phase 2, which began in 2022.

The concert closed out the group’s 10th-anniversary year. Ten days later, on December 30, ‘Darling’ earned Mrs. GREEN APPLE its third consecutive Japan Record Award.

Location

1-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

Connection to the group

Final show of the five-major-dome tour BABEL no TOH on December 20, 2025

Nearest stations

JR Suidobashi Station and Korakuen Station on the Tokyo Metro

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | Report from the BABEL no TOH concert at Tokyo Dome
THE FIRST TIMES | Tour finale at Tokyo Dome

12Japan National Stadium | A six-show stadium tour drawing 390,000 in 2026

At Japan National Stadium, also called MUFG Stadium since January 2026, Mrs. GREEN APPLE began the stadium tour ‘Zenjin Mitō to I/Mutable ~Kansō-hen~’ on April 18 and 19. The group performed at Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka on May 4 and 5, then concluded the tour at Japan National Stadium on July 4 and 5. The Nagai and July National Stadium shows were limited to fan-club members.

Across six shows, the tour drew 390,000 people; including streaming and live-viewing audiences, it reached 570,000. It was Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s first appearance at Japan National Stadium. The final show on July 5, which was restricted to fan-club members, was also made available online and through karaoke live viewing. An archive was streamed for 24 hours on July 12.

Location

10-1 Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Connection to the group

The ‘Zenjin Mitō to I/Mutable ~Kansō-hen~’ stadium tour, April 18–19 and July 4–5, 2026

Nearest stations

5-minute walk from Sendagaya or Shinanomachi Station on the JR Chuo-Sobu local line

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | Stadium-tour finale and attendance
Real Sound | Stadium-tour details
THE FIRST TIMES | Livestream of the final show
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group | MUFG Stadium naming announcement

Mrs. GREEN APPLE as a trio and its journey through each phase

Formed in 2013 and made its major-label debut on July 8, 2015

Mrs. GREEN APPLE formed in 2013 and made its major-label debut on July 8, 2015, with the mini-album Variety on EMI Records. The group continued to release one original album each year. Tickets for its first national arena tour, EDEN no SONO, beginning in December 2019, sold out on the day of release across 80,000 seats in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

On July 8, 2020, the fifth anniversary of its debut, the group released its first best-of album, 5, announced the end of Phase 1, and went on hiatus. After beginning Phase 2 in March 2022, it continued setting records with Kōhaku appearances, Japan Record Awards, dome tours, and stadium shows, until Phase 3 began on January 1, 2026.

From ‘Dance Hall,’ ‘Que Sera Sera,’ and ‘Lilac’ to ‘Darling’

Released in the year the group resumed activity, ‘Dance Hall’ was the fastest song in the band’s history to surpass 400 million plays. In 2023, ‘Que Sera Sera’ won the Japan Record Award for the first time; the group won again with ‘Lilac,’ the April 2024 opening theme for the anime Oblivion Battery. A year after release, ‘Lilac’ remained near the top of streaming charts and had surpassed 600 million cumulative plays.

In 2024, the group released ‘Nachtmusik,’ the theme song for the film Silent Love, in January, then released a single in each of the next five months, from April through August. Following ‘Lilac’ came ‘Dear,’ the theme for the film Dear Family; ‘Columbus’; ‘Apollodorus,’ a sports support song; and ‘familie,’ a Honda commercial song. The film version of The White Lounge tour, which had run since the previous year, earned more than ¥1.89 billion at the box office.

In 2025, the group’s 10th-anniversary year, it marked the occasion as ‘MGA MAGICAL 10 YEARS’ and held its first solo concert in South Korea in February. It received the Artist of the Year award at MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2025 in May, and from July became the first Japanese artists to collaborate at an event at Tokyo Disney Resort. On July 8, the group released the best-of album 10, and total domestic streams of its songs reached 10 billion.

‘Natsu no Kage’ was filmed amid Fukui’s summer scenery

The ‘Natsu no Kage’ music video was filmed among summer rice-field scenery believed to be in Fukui Prefecture. Fukui Shimbun reported that filming was thought to have taken place in Echizen, as well as Ono, Eiheiji, and Ikeda. Guitarist Hiroto Wakai took the photo for the digital-release jacket. The filming dates and reasons for choosing the locations have not been officially announced.

The digital-release jacket shows rice growing in a mountain valley under a blue sky. Fukui Shimbun reported that an amateur photographer from Ono City immediately recognized the view as being near Starland Sakadani in the Sakadani district and posted a photo taken from the same angle on social media. The filming location has not been officially disclosed.

The map in this article includes the bus stop in Echizen that the town’s tourism website identifies as a filming location. Other locations have been left off the map until they are confirmed through a reliable announcement.

In 2026, a morning-drama theme song and stadium tour

Phase 3 began during the New Year’s Day livestream on January 1, 2026, which also included a video looking back on Phase 2. In spring, ‘Kaze to Machi’ began airing as the theme song for the NHK morning drama Kaze, Kaoru; its music video combines sweeping natural landscapes with cutting-edge visual effects. From April to July, the group held a stadium tour at Japan National Stadium and Yanmar Stadium Nagai, drawing 390,000 people across six shows. On September 30, it released POPS, its first original full-length album in three years.

Key milestones for the group

1. 2013Mrs. GREEN APPLE formedFormation
2. July 8, 2015Major-label debut with the mini-album VarietyMusic
3. December 2019First national arena tour, EDEN no SONOConcert
4. July 8, 2020Announced the end of Phase 1 and went on hiatusMilestone
5. March 2022Resumed activity as Phase 2Milestone
6. July 8, 2022Comeback concert ‘Utopia’ at Pia Arena MMConcert
7. July 8, 2023NOAH no HAKOBUNE tour opened at Saitama Super ArenaConcert
8. August 12, 2023First dome concert, Atlantis, at Belluna DomeConcert
9. December 2023Won the Japan Record Award for ‘Que Sera Sera’ and made its first Kōhaku appearanceAward
10. July 6, 2024Youngest band in Japan to launch a stadium tour, at Noevir Stadium KobeConcert
11. October 202410-day residency at K-Arena YokohamaConcert
12. July 26, 202510th-anniversary outdoor concert FJORD at Yamashita Pier (100,000 people over two days)Concert
13. August 11, 2025‘Natsu no Kage’ music video released; fans visit the bus stop in EchizenMV
14. October 25, 2025BABEL no TOH five-major-dome tour opens at Vantelin DomeConcert
15. December 30, 2025Third consecutive Japan Record Award win for ‘Darling’Award
16. January 1, 2026Phase 3 beganMilestone
17. April 18, 2026Stadium tour opened at Japan National Stadium (390,000 people across six shows)Concert
18. September 30, 2026POPS, the group’s first original full-length album in three yearsMusic
19. February 20, 2027Harmony2 begins at K-Arena Yokohama (20 shows planned)Concert

Research note | A business perspective: how a town’s tourism website identified a filming location

After the ‘Natsu no Kage’ music video was released and fans identified the bus stop, Echizen’s tourism website quickly introduced it as a filming location. It also included a panoramic view of the town from the observatory and nearby Echizen Pottery Village, providing visitors with guidance on how to get there and what else to do.

The same article also noted concern that local residents might feel unsettled. When introducing a filming location, sharing etiquette in the same place helps protect both residents and visitors. As part of an inquiry-based learning project in Ono City, students explored ‘How to make Ono a location for a music video.’ This is one outcome the filming left in the community.