Yoko Kanno Performs at Anime Expo 2026, Announces Italy Concerts

Composer Yoko Kanno performed at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles as part of her ongoing global "Earth Emergence? Project." The event was held at Crypto.com Arena on July 2.

Kanno opened the J-POP SOUND CAPSULE concert with a 30-minute solo set. She played piano arrangements of "TANK!," "RUSH," and "Space Lion ~Piano Black." For "Cats on Mars," she sang live for the first time since a 2009 performance at Saitama Super Arena.

The set concluded with a collaborative segment titled "YOKO×YOKO" featuring singer Yoko Takahashi. Kanno provided a new piano arrangement for Takahashi's performance of "Cruel Angel's Thesis." The segment also included "Inner Universe" and "Blue," the latter accompanied by a special video from director Shinichiro Watanabe, before ending with "Real Folk Blues."

Kanno later returned to the stage during Takahashi's set, playing a keytar interlude for "Cruel Angel's Thesis."

"I haven't done many live shows before," Kanno said in a statement. "Seeing the audience sync their penlights to the music in real time made it feel like we were having a session together. It's addictive."

Kanno is scheduled to appear as a guest at Lucca Comics & Games 2026 in Lucca on October 31 and November 1. She will then perform her "PIANO ME" concert at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan on November 3.

Official Links: Yoko Kanno Site | SEATBELTS Site | YouTube

Source: PR Times via TOKYO MX