BTS Holds First Japan Concert in About 7 Years—110,000 ARMY Go Wild at Tokyo Dome for the First Time in 8 Years [Full Concert Report]

BTS held their world tour's Japan leg, titled "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN JAPAN," at the Tokyo Dome on april 17th and 18th. The concert marked their first performance in Japan in approximately seven years, following the BTS WORLD TOUR 'LOVE YOURSELF : SPEAK YOURSELF' — JAPAN EDITION" in July 2019, and the atmosphere was nothing short of electrifying.

BTS Launches Largest World Tour in History for a Korean Artist

21st century pop icons BTS—comprised RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook—kicked off "BTS World Tour 'ARIRANG'" on April 9th at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in South Korea. Following the Tokyo Dome performances on April 17th and 18th, the tour will span 85 shows across 34 cities in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. This tour is the largest ever for both BTS and any Korean artist to date, and with additional performances in Japan and Middle East already teased, the scale of tour is expected to grow even further. This also marks their first return to the Tokyo Dome in about eight years, since the "BTS World Tour 'Love Yourself : Speak Yourself' — Japan Edition" in November 2018.

A Roaring Opening Performance

The venue was completely packed, with seats surrounding 360-degree stage—one of defining features of this tour. Even before the show began, ARMY filled the arena with chants of "BTS! BTS!" while waving their official light sticks.

The concert, built around their fifth album "Arirang," opened with dancers carrying the album's logo flag. As the arena turned red and dancers ran across the stage, the seven members appeared in black outfits to thunderous applause.

From the opening track "Hooligan" to "Run BTS," the energy surged nonstop. During the MC segment, RM playfully quieted the crowd before hyping them up again, shouting, "Tokyo, scream! One more time!" While Jungkook greeted fans with a bright smile, while Suga calmly explained that the tour included new challenges and hoped everyone would enjoy it to the end.

The performance of "Fake Love" brought the members closers to fans along extended stage paths, with everyone chanting together in unison.

Hit songs one after another : "Swim," "Mic Drop," "IDOL"

The title track of "Arirang," "Swim," describes the resolve to keep swimming forward without stopping, even amidst the turbulent waves of life. Dancers used soft white cloths to represent these "turbulent waves," and the seven members stepped out from the center as if a single large drop had fallen into a vast ocean. When the seven members moved under the cloths unfurled by the dancers, they reappeared for "Merry Go Round," delivering mellow vocals while circling the stage like a carousel. The members, adorned in shimmering sequins, created a dreamlike space. As the song ended, the members, covered by the cloths, slowly exited the stage throughout finally faded, the audience naturally broke into applause, saluting the "way of life" portrayed on stage.

From where the members had exited, dancers returned to the stage waving colorful cloths of white, blue, yellow, and red. The stage then began to shake like the earth itself as traditional folk music and the sound of drums filled the air. The transitioned to an electric piano melody, with dancers wrapped in transparent cloth performing under screen visuals that mimicked an underwater environment. The atmosphere changed drastically with blazing flames and intense red strobe lights. Then, accompanied by fast-paced, kaleidoscopic visuals, a large group of dancers wearing blue and red capes swarmed the stage. Eventually, they all removed their capes to reveal uniform white outfits. Seven figures emerged brilliantly from the group, and it became clear that the BTS members had been blended in among them.

After the introduction to "2.0" brought huge cheers, the members expressed their joy at the audience's reaction during the MC, with J-Hope saying, "The vibe is really great!" and Jungkook adding, "If you continue to enjoy it like this, I think it will be an even more perfect performance!" After a heartwarming exchange where V and Jimin discussed how to make the next stage even more fun, the energy heated up further with "Not Today." Backed by the evolved freestyle and powerful lyrics of "Mic Drop," the audience's hearts were set ablaze by mashup of "FYA" and "Burning Up (FIRE)." The show moved into "Body to Body," which boldly samples the iconic Korean folk song "Arirang," and culminated in the festive atmosphere of "IDOL," witht the seven members leading dancers carrying large flags around the perimeter of the stage. Even after they left, the music didn't stop—as if to say the festival wasn't over—and the ARMYs continued to sway with beaming smiles, calling out "Welcome back!" and "Borahae!" (a term coined by BTS and ARMY, blending the word of "purple" and "I love you" to express their special bond). The scene was a poignant reminder of the ever-expanding circle of love between BTS and their fans across the globe.

BTS performs Japanese originals

The seven members retuened to the stage wearing tour merchandise, set to the hidden track "Come Over"—a song produced by Suga and included on the ARIRANG Deluxe Vinyl released on May 3rd. It was a heartwarming moment to see V get into a boxing stance while Jungkook massaged his shoulders, eventually leading to them shadowboxing together. RM, speaking in fluent Japanese, introduced the global hits like "Butter" and "Dynamite," saying, "It's been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for almost 10 consecutive weeks!" and "It's that song that even your neighbor's dog, Pochi, knows!" As these tracks followed, the voltage in the venue soared. The members danced in perfect sync, making the audience feel as if the were catching a glimpse of the group innocently with music.

The setlist continued with "Save ME" and the Japanese original "Crystal Snow," tracks specifically selected for the Japan performance. The members called out, "Everyone, sing!" leading to a moving moment of unity as the members and ARMY sang together. Throughout the concert, the seven members repeatedly expressed their feelings, saying, "It's been so long," "I missed you so much," and "I love you, ARMY." Waving to the packed stadium until the very and responding to requests for heart poses and messages on fan signs, it was clear that the members had been just as eagerly anticipating this return to Japan after seven years.

Original article: mdpr