Pasadena, Calif. šC Most groups would consider performing as the opener for a first-of-its-kind music festival devoted to J-pop as a career highlight. For the seven-member unit Hana, it¡¯s just another accomplishment in a year full of them.
Hana (stylized in all caps) kicked off the May 16 Zipangu festival at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, with a 30-minute set showcasing the project¡¯s eclectic range of songs that run from dizzying hip-hop and earnest balladry to all-together-now pop. Having debuted in April 2025, the group¡¯s catalog is still relatively small, but that hasn¡¯t stopped Hana from quickly emerging as one of Japan¡¯s most talked-about new acts.?
¡°If you listen to our debut song up to our latest single, we do so many different kinds of styles. I think it expresses who we are as human beings,¡± member Koharu tells The Japan Times from backstage several hours after the Zipangu set. ¡°It¡¯s OK to be free. It¡¯s OK to have fun.¡±
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