“A Trip in My Hustler to Support the Kyoto Tachibana High School Band”
On Friday, September 25, I left home at 1:00 AM and drove along my usual local roads, taking breaks while heading toward Oasis 21 in Nagoya. I arrived around 2:00 AM on the 26th. Thanks to advice from a friend in Nagoya, I found a parking lot a bit far from the venue but inexpensive if used for 12 hours. I spent some time driving around nearby convenience stores and the area around the TV Tower before taking a short rest.
While checking SNS, I learned for the first time that Tacchi-san would also be performing a parade. I was surprised—and thrilled.
I parked at 6:00 AM and met up with a couple from the “Daisuki-san” group. We walked for about 30 minutes and arrived at Oasis 21 just before 7:00 AM, where familiar faces were already gathered.
The venue is located right next to the Nagoya TV Tower. It’s a modern structure with a large underground event space surrounded by restaurants and shops. Above it is a green plaza on the second floor, and even higher, parts of the rooftop are accessible. There’s a pool-like structure on the roof, and because the roof is transparent, you can see the bottom of the pool from the event space below. Unless there’s heavy rain, the structure seems very sturdy. I was genuinely impressed—at my age, I felt like I was discovering something amazing for the first time.
The photo above shows the open green plaza on the second floor (“Green Earth”), where the parade was scheduled to take place.
Since the parade was set for 11:30 AM, we spent the time checking the parade route on the second floor, having breakfast, and enjoying conversations about Tacchi-san.
Tacchi-san’s stage performance was scheduled for 3:30 PM, so we had plenty of time. Thanks to that, I enjoyed chatting while savoring traditional Nikki candy given to me by the well-known “Osaka uncle,” a regular at Tacchi-san events.
The photo above shows the event stage upon arrival. I wondered whether the stage might be too small.
Oh, and one more thing…
A group performing before Tacchi-san held a rehearsal, so one of the ladies in our group—who had already attended this event twice and knew the venue well—said Tacchi-san would surely rehearse too. I expected it, and indeed, about an hour before the parade time, staff members began preparing the stage, marking positions with a large measuring tape and bringing in percussion instruments.
Just when I thought they were done, members carrying instruments entered and began a full sound rehearsal. It felt like they played almost the entire set—an incredibly lucky moment right before my eyes.
Last year at Fushimi Port, I also happened to see their rehearsal on the tennis courts, so this was my second time being fortunate enough to witness it.
As for the weather, it rained heavily for about 30 minutes around 2:00 AM, but then stopped. I hoped it would hold until the parade.
However, although ropes were set up along the parade route and everything was ready, rain began falling again about 30 minutes before start time, and unfortunately, the parade was canceled.
Many staff members worked quickly to adjust the venue for each performer—removing chairs, repositioning barricades, and preparing the stage for Tacchi-san. Although the stage looked small in photos, they rearranged everything to accommodate the performance.
Photography was strictly prohibited. Staff members held signs and immediately warned anyone attempting to take photos. Even the second floor was blocked off with cones, preventing people from watching from above. Several staff members patrolled, reminding people not to stop or take pictures.
As for Tacchi-san’s drill stage, signs indicating standing positions were placed on the cones about 30 minutes before the performance, making entry smooth and organized.
I was lucky to win a standing ticket in the lottery, so I watched from the second row. Those without tickets could still watch from behind the barricades. As expected from Tacchi-san’s popularity, the crowd behind us was huge.
The performance began around 3:45 PM. Wearing orange skirts and white T-shirts, they started with their signature “Winter Games” and finished with “Sing,” performing a total of ten pieces. Guided by the trumpet section’s MC, the show was full of energy and smiles, ending with thunderous applause.
Setlist (10 songs):
- Winter Games
- Megalovania
- Hot Stuff
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me
- Mickey
- Could Have Been Me
- We’re All Alone
- Sing Sing Sing
- Magical Experience (MC performance segment)
- Finale (Sing Sing Sing ~ Ending)
A few first-year students stood on both sides, perhaps due to the limited stage space.
After the performance, I went to see the third-floor rooftop. You can walk around the outer edge, and the large pool in the center looks different depending on the light and wind when viewed from below—very interesting.
On the way home, I hummed “We’re All Alone,” recalling the wonderful performance. I also visited a large camera store and some reuse shops before returning home safely.
My Hustler’s total travel distance was 907 km. Compared to driving to Kyoto, it felt surprisingly close.
Well then—until next time!
