Kenshi Yonezu Pilgrimage: The Lemon Museum, Canary Park, and Mount Fuji Filming Sites

Otsuka Museum of Art in Naruto, Tokushima, has a Sistine Hall recreating Michelangelo’s ceiling and wall paintings. Kenshi Yonezu performed ‘Lemon’ in this 16-meter-high space during the 2018 Kōhaku Uta Gassen. It remains open to visitors as one of the museum’s galleries.

This guide introduces 12 places, from venues in Yonezu’s hometown of Tokushima and music-video locations announced by local authorities to Tokyo Dome and national-tour venues. Follow the connections between the songs and the places, from a museum recreation to stages around Japan.

12 places, from the museum where he performed ‘Lemon’ to music-video locations and domes

1Otsuka Museum of Art | The Sistine Hall where Yonezu performed ‘Lemon’ at the 2018 Kōhaku

Otsuka Museum of Art, located inside Naruto Park in Naruto, Tokushima, was opened in 1998 by the Otsuka Group as a 75th-anniversary project. It recreates more than 1,000 Western masterpieces at full scale on ceramic panels, from collections of more than 190 museums in 26 countries. The displays span three basement floors and two above-ground floors, with a viewing route of about four kilometers.

Yonezu performed at the 2018 Kōhaku in the Sistine Hall, the museum’s largest gallery. Michelangelo’s ceiling and wall paintings are reproduced in a space 20 meters wide, 40 meters deep, and 16 meters high. Walkerplus reported that after the broadcast, the museum received visitors who had seen the live relay and inquiries asking where the gallery was located.

Photography is not allowed in the original chapel, but at this museum visitors can take commemorative photos with the artworks behind them. Even before serving as the Kōhaku stage, the hall had hosted shogi matches, NHK Symphony Orchestra concerts, and weddings. Since 2009, it has also hosted Sistine Kabuki, a new kabuki work performed with The Last Judgment as its backdrop.

‘Lemon’ was written in 2018 as the theme song for the TBS drama Unnatural. Beginning July 30, 2019, the museum displayed an extra-large ceramic panel reproducing the jacket artwork Yonezu drew himself. The display commemorated the song’s 25 top rankings in the first half of 2019 and the music video surpassing 400 million views. Because ceramic panels do not fade, the museum says they can preserve this color and form for 2,000 years. The video continued to gain views and surpassed 900 million on January 12, 2025.

Location

65-1 Fukuchi, Tosadomariura, Naruto-cho, Naruto, Tokushima (inside Naruto Park)

Connection to the artist

Yonezu performed ‘Lemon’ on television for the first time at the 69th Kōhaku on December 31, 2018. The ceramic-panel reproduction of the ‘Lemon’ jacket has been displayed since July 30, 2019.

Getting there

About 15 minutes by Tokushima Bus from JR Naruto Station (bound for Naruto Park); get off at Otsuka Museum of Art-mae

Hours

9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (admission tickets sold until 4 p.m.). Closed Mondays (or the following day when Monday is a holiday). General admission: ¥3,300.

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | ‘Lemon’ music video surpasses 900 million views and Kōhaku live relay
Real Sound | Ceramic-panel display of ‘Lemon’ at Otsuka Museum of Art
Walkerplus | Sistine Hall and response to the Kōhaku broadcast
HugKum | History of Otsuka Museum of Art
Internet Museum | Admission and directions for Otsuka Museum of Art
Otsuka Museum of Art | Hours and closing days

2ASTY Tokushima | ‘Fantasia’ tour shows in Yonezu’s hometown

ASTY Tokushima in Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima, is a facility with a multipurpose hall. About 15 minutes by bus from JR Tokushima Station, it also hosts exhibitions and local events.

On June 3 and 4, 2023, Kenshi Yonezu held the Tokushima dates of Kenshi Yonezu 2023 TOUR / Fantasia here. The two shows in his home prefecture were part of a 24-show tour across 11 venues, after stops in Kobe, Osaka, Kumamoto, Nagoya, Miyagi, Hokkaido, and Fukui. The tour continued to Hiroshima and Saitama before concluding at Yokohama Arena in July.

On days without a concert, the venue hosts other events. Check the official website for the schedule before visiting.

Location

1-1 Higashihamabyoji, Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima, Tokushima

Connection to the artist

Tokushima dates of the Fantasia tour on June 3–4, 2023

Getting there

About 15 minutes by Tokushima Bus from JR Tokushima Station; get off at Bunri Daigaku-mae and walk about 5 minutes

Sources:Pia | Full Fantasia tour schedule ASTY Tokushima | Access

3Yahiro Park | The ‘Canary’ music video directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

Yahiro Park in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, is a municipal park that opened on April 1, 1981. Covering approximately 5,100 square meters, it has a combination play structure, swings, a sandbox, and an open area for ball games. It is open at all times.

In November 2020, Kenshi Yonezu released the music video for ‘Canary,’ the final track on his album STRAY SHEEP. It was directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose film Shoplifters won the Palme d’Or, the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize. This was Kore-eda’s first music-video direction in about four years and his first collaboration with Yonezu. The cast includes Ayu Makita and Min Tanaka, a butoh dancer and actor. The video unfolds like a short film, intertwining stories of women and men across three generations. The official YouTube channel also features a conversation between Yonezu and Kore-eda.

According to the Sumida Film Commission, this music video was filmed at Yahiro Park. STRAY SHEEP was made while everyday life was changing dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yonezu announced that part of the album’s proceeds would be donated through the Canary Fund to people facing hardship in their daily lives.

The park is in a residential neighborhood where local children play. Please keep your visit quiet and take care not to photograph people at play or nearby homes.

Location

5-10-14 Yahiro, Sumida-ku, Tokyo

Connection to the artist

Filming location for the ‘Canary’ music video, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and released in November 2020 (announced by the Sumida Film Commission)

Nearest station

Yahiro Station on the Keisei Oshiage Line

Opening hours

Open at all times (the ball-play area is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

Sources:Sumida Film Commission | ‘Canary’ music-video filming location
Real Sound | ‘Canary’ music video directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Sumida City | Yahiro Park information

4Gotemba New Fifth Station | Filming location for the ‘Tsuki wo Miteita’ music video

Gotemba New Fifth Station in Gotemba, Shizuoka, is one of the three fifth stations on Mount Fuji’s Shizuoka side. Located at the end of the prefectural road at an elevation of 1,440 meters, it is the lowest of the locations called the New Fifth Station. A gravelly landscape, also known as the ‘Fuji Desert,’ spreads across the area. There are no private-car restrictions during the summer climbing season, and the drive takes about 40 minutes from the Gotemba Interchange on the Tomei Expressway.

The music video for ‘Tsuki wo Miteita,’ written as the theme song for the game FINAL FANTASY XVI, was released on July 9, 2023. It was directed by OSRIN of the creative label PERIMETRON and depicts three parallel worlds in which Yonezu appears. The Gotemba Film Commission lists ‘Mount Fuji, Gotemba Trailhead’ as a filming location for the video.

FINAL FANTASY XVI was released worldwide on June 22, 2023. ‘Tsuki wo Miteita’ debuted at No. 1 on Oricon’s weekly digital singles chart. It was Yonezu’s 13th digital single to reach No. 1, giving him the most chart-toppers outright in the chart’s history.

The climbing trail toward the summit closed for winter at 5 p.m. on September 10, 2026. Snow and ice are possible at high elevations in winter, so check Shizuoka Prefecture’s road-closure information before setting out.

Location

Gotemba, Shizuoka (at the end of Prefectural Route Fuji-koen Tarobo Line)

Connection to the artist

Filming location for the ‘Tsuki wo Miteita’ music video, released July 2023 (announced by the Gotemba Film Commission)

Getting there

About a 40-minute drive from the Gotemba Interchange on the Tomei Expressway

Caution

The climbing trail to the summit has been closed for winter since September 10, 2026. Check Shizuoka Prefecture road-closure information for current conditions on the prefectural road.

Sources:Gotemba Film Commission | Filming credits
4Gamer.net | Release of the ‘Tsuki wo Miteita’ music video
Nippon Tabi Magazine | Gotemba New Fifth Station
Shizuoka Prefecture | Winter closure of roads and climbing trails to Mount Fuji’s fifth stations

5Yokohama Arena | The Fantasia tour finale and the JUNK tour

At Yokohama Arena, about a five-minute walk from Shin-Yokohama Station, Kenshi Yonezu held the final show of Kenshi Yonezu 2023 TOUR / Fantasia on July 2, 2023. The tour began at Kobe World Memorial Hall on April 22 and drew 210,000 people across 24 shows at 11 venues. At Yokohama Arena, it held four shows from June 28 through July 2.

The show opened with ‘Campanella.’ At the end of the song, a starry sky spread behind Yonezu, and a ‘galactic railway’ sped along tracks between the stars. A horn section and dance team appeared exclusively at the Yokohama Arena shows. That day, Yonezu also performed ‘Chikyugi,’ the theme song for Hayao Miyazaki’s then-unannounced film The Boy and the Heron, as a surprise. In his final main-set remarks, Yonezu looked back on himself as a child who used to daydream and said, ‘I am who I am today because I had my fantasies.’

The complete concert was included on the video edition of Yonezu’s sixth album, LOST CORNER, released August 21, 2024. He returned to Yokohama Arena for the JUNK tour on January 22 and 23, 2025.

Location

3-10 Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Connection to the artist

Fantasia tour finale on July 2, 2023; Yokohama dates of the JUNK tour on January 22–23, 2025

Nearest station

5-minute walk from the north exit of JR Shin-Yokohama Station on the Yokohama Line; 4-minute walk from Exits 7 and 8 of Shin-Yokohama Station on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | Report from the Fantasia tour finale
THE FIRST TIMES | LOST CORNER video edition and Yokohama concert
Yokohama Arena | Access

6Sekisui Heim Super Arena | Opening show of the JUNK tour, which included Yonezu’s first dome concert

Kenshi Yonezu 2025 TOUR / JUNK began on January 9 and 10, 2025, at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in the Miyagi Sports Park (Grandy 21) in Rifu, Miyagi. The domestic tour visited eight cities for 16 shows, including Yonezu’s first dome concerts. It featured 24 songs, focusing on tracks from LOST CORNER, released the previous August.

Yonezu had also performed at the arena on the Fantasia tour on May 13 and 14, 2023. The GHOST tour is scheduled to return on December 3 and 4, 2026.

Location

40-1 Sugaya, Rifu, Miyagi District, Miyagi (Miyagi Sports Park / Grandy 21)

Connection to the artist

Opening shows of the JUNK tour on January 9–10, 2025; Miyagi shows on the planned GHOST tour on December 3–4, 2026

Getting there

Bus from JR Rifu Station on the Tohoku Main Line. Dedicated shuttle buses from Sendai Station may be available depending on the concert.

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | JUNK tour domestic dates
THE FIRST TIMES | Report from the JUNK Tokyo Dome concert
Fashion Press | GHOST tour dates
L-tike Travel | Access to Sekisui Heim Super Arena

7Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka | Yonezu’s first dome stage

The first dome shows of the JUNK tour took place on February 8 and 9, 2025, at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, a retractable-roof dome in Jigyohama facing Hakata Bay. On the 2026 GHOST tour, the Fukuoka shows are scheduled for November 27 and 28 at Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A.

A THE FIRST TIMES report writes that for Yonezu, whose first experience sharing music was on Nico Nico Douga, before performing live, the dome stage felt less like a dream or aspiration and more like an unreal fantasy. He began as a Vocaloid producer releasing songs through a screen, built up live performances over time, and reached a dome for the first time on this tour.

Location

2-2-2 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka

Connection to the artist

Yonezu’s first dome concerts, on the JUNK tour, February 8–9, 2025

Nearest station

About a 15-minute walk from Exit 3 of Tojinmachi Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | JUNK tour domestic dates
THE FIRST TIMES | Report from the JUNK Tokyo Dome concert
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | Directions to the dome

8Kyocera Dome Osaka | Osaka shows on February 15 and 16

The Osaka shows of the JUNK tour took place on February 15 and 16, 2025, at Kyocera Dome Osaka. The dome has a distinctive silver roof with a rippling edge and stands just in front of Dome-mae Chiyozaki Station on the Osaka Metro.

Osaka-jō Hall was also a venue for the Kuso tour on April 26 and 27, 2023. Yonezu’s Osaka shows on the planned 2026 GHOST tour are also scheduled for November 18 and 19 at Osaka-jō Hall.

Location

3-chu 2-1 Chiyozaki, Nishi-ku, Osaka, Osaka

Connection to the artist

Osaka shows of the JUNK tour, February 15–16, 2025

Nearest stations

Dome-mae Chiyozaki Station on the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line; Dome-mae Station on the Hanshin Namba Line

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | JUNK tour domestic dates
Fashion Press | GHOST tour dates

9Daiwa House Premist Dome | Hokkaido dome concert

On February 21, 2025, the Hokkaido show of the JUNK tour was held at Daiwa House Premist Dome in Toyohira-ku, Sapporo. The venue opened in 2001 as Sapporo Dome and has used its current name since August 1, 2024. Of the four domes on the domestic tour, this was the only one-night stop. During the 2023 Kuso tour, Yonezu performed in Sapporo at Hokkai Kitayell on May 20 and 21.

Location

1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Connection to the artist

Hokkaido show of the JUNK tour, February 21, 2025

Nearest station

10-minute walk from Fukuzumi Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Toho Line

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | JUNK tour domestic dates
Kyodo News PR Wire | Sapporo Dome’s new name announced
Daiwa House Premist Dome | Access

10Tokyo Dome | The biggest solo show of his career

The final domestic shows of the JUNK tour took place at Tokyo Dome on February 26 and 27, 2025. For Yonezu, these were the largest solo shows of his career. The domestic tour drew a total of 350,000 people.

In the staging, the audience traveled through a long tunnel and arrived at a starry limestone cavern. Particles of light rose from the cavern and spread across the Tokyo Dome ceiling. When the album logo appeared above, the giant “Garakuta-kun” emerged. Yonezu sang as he drove a yellow car between the arena seats, then danced on its hood to close the domestic tour with a 24-song set. Reflecting on reaching the dome, he said, “I think it’s a blessing that tens of thousands of people come to hear my music.”

From March, the tour continued with a world tour through Shanghai, Taipei, Seoul, London, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. The Seoul, London, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles shows were his first performances in those cities. The domestic and international dates together drew 440,000 people.

Location

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

Connection to the artist

Domestic finale of the JUNK tour and Yonezu’s first Tokyo Dome shows, February 26–27, 2025

Nearest stations

JR Suidobashi Station; Korakuen Station on the Tokyo Metro

Sources:THE FIRST TIMES | Report from the JUNK Tokyo Dome concert
THE FIRST TIMES | World tour cities
Kenshi Yonezu Official Website | Profile

11Nagano Big Hat | Opening dates of the GHOST tour

Big Hat, in Wakasato, Nagano, is a large multipurpose venue that served as the main ice hockey venue during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. Movable seating that retracts into the walls lets the arena change its capacity. In winter, it can be fitted with an ice rink and is also used for figure skating and ice hockey practice.

Kenshi Yonezu 2026 TOUR / GHOST is scheduled to begin here on November 6 and 7, 2026. The shows are set for 6:30 p.m. on the 6th and 5 p.m. on the 7th. The tour will then visit K-Arena Yokohama, Osaka-jō Hall, Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall A, Sekisui Heim Super Arena, and Port Messe Nagoya. Earlier that year, Yonezu announced “Karasu” as the 2026 NHK soccer theme and revealed that he had written “Yodaka” as the theme song for the film Kingdom: The Soul’s Decisive Battle.

Location

3-22-2 Wakasato, Nagano, Nagano

Connection to the artist

Opening dates of the GHOST tour, November 6–7, 2026 (scheduled)

Getting there

From the Zenkoji Exit of JR Nagano Station, take an Alpico Kotsu bus bound for Otsukaminami or Matsuoka and get off at Big Hat. About a 30-minute walk from the East Exit of Nagano Station.

Sources:Nagano Convention & Visitors Bureau | Big Hat
Fashion Press | GHOST tour dates
Kenshi Yonezu Official Website | Profile

12K-Arena Yokohama | Finale of the GHOST tour

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

The GHOST tour is scheduled to play here on November 11 and 12. After visiting other cities, the tour is set to return on December 16 and 17 for its finale.

Location

6-2-14 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Connection to the artist

Yokohama shows of the GHOST tour on November 11–12 and December 16–17, 2026; tour finale (scheduled)

Nearest stations

5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Shin-Takashima Station on the Minatomirai Line; 9-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Yokohama Station

Sources:Fashion Press | GHOST tour dates
Ropping Life | K-Arena Yokohama opening and access

Kenshi Yonezu’s career and his hometown of Tokushima

Starting out online as Hachi

Kenshi Yonezu was born on March 10, 1991, in Tokushima Prefecture. In 2009, he began posting original songs on Nico Nico Douga under the name Hachi, drawing attention with Vocaloid songs such as “Matryoshka” and “Panda Hero.” He also created his own illustrations and videos, and released two albums as Hachi in 2010.

In 2012, he released diorama, an album on which he sang under his real name, Kenshi Yonezu. He created it on his own, from writing, composing, and arranging to vocals, instruments, mixing, video, and artwork. From 2013, he began recording with live instruments. In 2017, for the first time in about four years, he released a song as Hachi again: “DUNE feat. Hatsune Miku,” the theme song for Hatsune Miku’s 10th anniversary.

In Yonezu’s hometown of Tokushima, Otsuka Museum of Art drew attention when it hosted a live broadcast for the 2018 Kōhaku. Many places in the prefecture associated with him, including schools and residential neighborhoods, are where local people live. This guide maps only Otsuka Museum of Art and Aste Tokushima among the Tokushima locations; it does not pin other places in the prefecture.

From “Lemon” to Kōhaku and the world stage

In 2018, “Lemon” became the fastest song in the history of the Recording Industry Association of Japan to receive certification for 1,000,000 downloads, and Yonezu performed it on television for the first time at that year’s Kōhaku. The same year, he also wrote “Paprika,” sung by Foorin as the NHK 2020 Support Song.

In 2019, he performed overseas for the first time in Shanghai and Taipei. In August 2020, he released his fifth album, STRAY SHEEP. It sold one million copies in its first week and later reached two million.

After postponed shows on the HYPE tour were canceled, he held a virtual event inside the online game Fortnite. In 2019, during this period, he released “Uma to Shika,” the theme song for the TBS drama No Side Game; the song was also played at Rugby World Cup venues.

In 2022, he wrote “M87,” the theme song for the film Shin Ultraman, and “KICK BACK,” the opening theme for the anime Chainsaw Man. At the final show of the Henshin tour at Saitama Super Arena on October 27 that year, Daiki Tsuneta of King Gnu made a surprise appearance and performed “KICK BACK” with him. In 2023, “KICK BACK” became the first Japanese-language song to receive Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America; it was upgraded to Platinum in 2025.

“Chikyugi,” released in 2023, was the 100th song released under Kenshi Yonezu’s name. In 2024, he returned to Kōhaku for the first time in six years with “Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!,” the theme song for NHK’s morning drama The Tiger and Her Wings. At the 2025 Kōhaku, he gave the first performance of “IRIS OUT,” the theme song for the Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. HANA appeared as a guest in a 100-person stage production that also featured a shark ride.

Also in 2025, Yonezu appeared with Yuzuru Hanyu in the music video for “BOW AND ARROW,” the opening theme for the anime Medalist, and released “1991,” the theme song for the film 5 Centimeters per Second. On December 20, fireworks set to “IRIS OUT” and “JANE DOE,” sung with Hikaru Utada, were launched over Odaiba in Tokyo as a collaboration with the Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks. Many people reportedly gathered despite the rain. In May 2026, “Peace Sign” also received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The people who have shaped his music videos and live shows

Yonezu has created his music videos in collaboration with film directors and visual artists.

Key milestones in the artist’s career

1. 2009Begins posting songs on Nico Nico Douga as “Hachi”Music
2. 2012First album under his real name, dioramaMusic
3. 2017“DUNE feat. Hatsune Miku,” released as HachiMusic
4. 2018“Lemon,” theme song for the drama UnnaturalMusic
5. December 31, 2018First appearance at Kōhaku, performing “Lemon” from Otsuka Museum of ArtMilestone
6. July 30, 2019Otsuka Museum of Art begins displaying the “Lemon” ceramic muralMilestone
7. August 2020Fifth album, STRAY SHEEPMusic
8. November 2020“Canary” music video directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Yahiro Park)Music
9. June 3, 2023Kuso tour at Aste Tokushima in his hometown of TokushimaConcert
10. July 2, 2023Kuso tour finale at Yokohama ArenaConcert
11. July 9, 2023“Tsuki wo Miteita” music video released (Gotemba Trailhead of Mount Fuji)Music
12. August 21, 2024Sixth album, LOST CORNERMusic
13. December 31, 2024Performs “Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!” at Kōhaku for the first time in six yearsMilestone
14. February 26, 2025First Tokyo Dome show (JUNK tour)Concert
15. December 31, 2025First performance of “IRIS OUT” at KōhakuMilestone
16. November 6, 2026GHOST tour begins at Nagano Big Hat (scheduled)Concert

Research note | A business perspective: Preserving a broadcast memory through the museum’s own medium

After the 2018 Kōhaku broadcast from Otsuka Museum of Art, the museum received visitor inquiries and questions about the exhibition rooms. The following year, a ceramic mural based on an album cover drawn by Yonezu himself went on display. The initiative added a reason to see his own artwork to the memory of the place where he performed.

Ceramic panels are the material the museum uses to preserve famous paintings at life size. The collaboration with music also makes use of the museum’s established exhibition practice. Rather than letting interest after the broadcast fade into a temporary wave of inquiries, the museum created an object where the artist’s work and the institution’s expertise meet. Other venues can take this as a prompt to consider what materials they can preserve and exhibit themselves, instead of relying only on photos of the performance site.