A King Comes to Central America! Commemorative Event to Open the Japan-SICA Friendship Year 2015 Live Performance by Ichiro Mizuki in Costa Rica

Photo of Ichiro Mizuki

The Japan Foundation (JF) will hold an anime song (anisong) live performance and talk show featuring the king of anisong in Japan, the singer Ichiro Mizuki, as an opening event of the Japan-SICA Friendship Year 2015, a project to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and five Central American countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica). The events will take place in the capital of Costa Rica, San José, parallel to the international traveling exhibition JAPAN: Kingdom of Characters.

logo of JAPAN SICA

Since the 1970s, Ichiro Mizuki has performed theme songs and featured songs for internationally popular anime works, such as "Mazinger Z" and "Space Pirate Captain Harlock." He has built a repertoire of more than 1,200 anisongs, and has brought numerous anime characters to life. Affectionately known by fans all over the world as Aniki, meaning "big brother," he has a broad fanbase spanning three generations, even in Costa Rica. In his first concert in Central and South America, Mizuki will convey to his audience the passionate message of Japanese hero songs, that anyone can become a hero.

Read an interview of Ichiro Mizuki in Wochi Kochi Magazine

Outline

Live performance
Date Saturday, February 28, 2015 6:00 p.m.
Venue Museo de los Niños - Teatro Auditorio Nacional
Talk show and mini-live performance
Date Sunday, March 1, 2015 3:00 p.m.
Venue Museo de los Niños - Salon Karote
Co-organized by The Japan Foundation, Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica
Supported by Imperio Anime (Costa Rica Anime and Manga Club)

For details, visit the website of the Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica

Profile

Ichiro Mizuki

An anisong pioneer, Ichiro Mizuki continues to ride the peak of his fame as the undisputed king of the anime song genre. In 1999, he made history by singing 1,000 songs within 24 hours. Mizuki has an amazing repertoire of over 1,200 anisongs. His Wikipedia entry is translated into 90 languages, a record for a Japanese person, and a testament of his great international popularity.

Core Works

  • “Mazinger Z” (Theme song of “Mazinger Z,” 1972)
  • “Babel II” (Theme song of “Babel II,” 1973)
  • “Ore wa Great Mazinger” (Theme song of “Great Mazinger,” 1974)
  • “Set up Kamen Rider X” (Theme song of “Kamen Rider X,” 1974)
  • “Kamen Rider Stronger no Uta” (Theme song of “Kamen Rider Stronger,” 1975)
  • “Tekkaman no Uta” (Theme song of “Tekkaman: The Space Knight,” 1975）
  • “Kotetsu Jeeg no Uta” (Theme song of “Steel Jeeg,” 1975)
  • “The theme of Combattler V” (Theme song of “Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V,” 1976)
  • “Captain Harlock” (Theme song of “Space Pirate Captain Harlock,” 1978)
  • “Lupin III - Love Theme” (Theme song of “Lupin III,” 1978)
  • “Moero! Kamen Rider” (Theme song of “Kamen Rider (Skyrider),” 1979)
  • “ZEBRAMAN no Uta” (Theme song of “Zebraman,” 2004)
  • “Tao” (Ending theme song of “Jyuken sentai Gekiranger,” 2007)

And many more...

Ichiro Mizuki Official Facebook Page
photo of Ichiro Mizuki Official Facebook Page

SICA: Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (Central American Integration System)

[Contact Us]

The Japan Foundation
Americas Section, Arts and Culture Dept.
Person in charge: Yukari Shinohara (Ms.)
Tel. +81-(0)3-5369-6061 Fax: +81-(0)3-5369-6038
E-mail: event-info＠jpf.go.jp
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