SHOHJYOTAI at HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market, London

J-pop act SHOHJYOTAI is usually a trio, although only two members, Saya and Ame-chan, appeared onstage. Dressed in school girl outfits, the girls looked as excited as ever, asking the crowd if they were enjoying the night before jumping into the first song. This was a typically J-pop sounding song, very dancey and lively. They occasionally sang in synchronisation, highlighting their own vocals during their solo parts, and danced together throughout the performance, mostly consisting of varied hand movements and jumps, which suited the cute style of the song.

After the opening number ended they introduced themselves, saying their names and that they were Japanese idols, then laughingly asked if the crowd spoke Japanese before proceeding on to the next song. They stood facing each other as they started to sing this ballad, then the drums slowly picked up. They waved at the crowd throughout and ended with a lasting, elongated note. In contrast, the following song was a fast paced, lively track with a small dance break in it that earned some chants from the crowd. SHOHJYOTAI thanked the crowd again after this song. Saya asked everyone if they were happy, answering “I happy too” when they shouted back an enthusiastic response, leading to Ame-chan correcting Saya’s English, saying “Happy me too.”

The next song had quite a slow start too until the drums kicked off and SHOHJYOTAI could showcase their impressive dancing as the tempo got faster and more energetic. The final song was a Christmas track, which started off with the traditional jingle and blended into a violin as the girls urged the crowd to clap to the rhythm. It was a soulful, fun and sweet way to end their set. The HYPER JAPAN host then came onstage and asked the crowd to join SHOHJYOTAI for a photo, so everyone gathered round and said “Cheese”. The girls thanked the crowd a final time, saying “See you. I love you,” as they walked offstage.