東京都
2026.01.30
Hello everyone! What I'm going to introduce this time is a tour where you can enjoy a winter Tokyo Bay cruise while listening to city pop on the cruise ship “G-Fleet”. The tour navigators are Knimond Takiguchi, who works as a musician/music producer, and city pop reggae singer/DJ Natsu Summer. Knimond Takiguchi has a close relationship of trust that has continued for about 10 years, producing Natsu Summer's songs and activities. They also often perform together at music events.
In the past few years, Knimond Takiguchi has a deep knowledge of various music, including city pop with an urban mood that has gained popularity both domestically and internationally. Under the artist name RYUSENKEI (ex streamline), he collaborates with female and male vocal artists, and is also active as an artist delivering sweet “city pop” scenes.
Furthermore, activities have continued over a long period of time to release compilation CDs that collect “city music” from a geeky point of view from groups of songs produced in a wide range of ages, from the 1970s to the 2000s. On the other hand, Natsu Summer is a milestone year where she will celebrate her 10th anniversary next year. These two met once again and were asked to freely talk about how they met, their feelings for city pop, and their enthusiasm for the tour.
【目次】
_ Please tell us what led the two of you to start playing music together.
Knimond Takiguchi (C below)_ I met her when she was an amateur before she started working under the name Natsu Summer. At the time, they were doing something like a guitar and vocal duo. At that time, I was asked about my musical direction by her. When I asked her closely about her identity, I found out that she was born in July, is from Ehime, and likes reggae and city pop. If that's the case, I suggested that it might be better to make use of that kind of personality and do it as a solo musician. Natsu is included in the real name, so I named the artist “Natsu Summer” as a good name. I feel like I borrowed the sound of Donna Summer, who took the world by storm as a disco music diva (laughs).
Natsu Summer (N below)_I wanted to do something interesting, so I thought I'd take advantage of the suggestions I received from Mr. Takiguchi.
_ How did you fall in love with city pop?
N_My parents' family business is a liquor store. Because of that, USEN (wired) has been playing at home all year round. I came across various kinds of music there. In addition, my mother loved city pop, and I was also influenced by it. If I had to name one city pop artist who has been most influenced, it would be Yuming (Matsutoya Yumi). I love the worldview of the lyrics. When I say something like this, I can see that it's dark (laughs), but “The Shady Room” shook my heart quite a bit. When I was in college, I even tried a reggae unit with my friends. Back then, I was absorbing city pop by going to various clubs and listening to music.
C_ When I was in elementary school, my older brother and older sister who were college students lived next to or behind my house. Despite the fact that there was quite a big age difference between elementary school students and college students, they got along well. My older sister likes music and listens to Carol King and the like. On the other hand, my older brother loved listening to Sugar Babe and AOR.
Back then, it was a laid-back time where houses weren't locked. I felt like that, so I casually went to my older brother's house behind the scenes and was allowed to listen to records without permission. Record songs you like on cassette tapes and take them home to listen to them. Now, if you think about it, it's an amazing time. For me, “play” was listening to music like that. My house has always had a gorgeous stereo or open reel deck for some reason, and I used them to do my own editing work and make mixtapes.
_ This time, it's a tour to watch the night view while listening to city pop on a Tokyo Bay cruise. What kind of image do you have of choosing songs to be played on the DJ and songs sung by Natsu Summer?
C_ I'm mainly in charge of DJing. When I define city pop in my own way, a few keywords come to mind. First, one is “longing for adults.” That kind of atmosphere is tightly condensed into the music. When I was young, I listened to music with that kind of mindset, but now that I'm an adult, what comes to mind is “nostalgia.”
When I was a kid, anime were frequently broadcast on TV, but what was chosen as the ending song was so-called city pop. When I hear that kind of music, I sometimes suddenly remember those days. City pop is now so popular that people from overseas listen to it so widely, but even without the original experience of “watching anime,” I feel like we can share a sense of nostalgia and surprise.
As a DJ, I want to deliver a comfortable time while interlacing standard numbers like “Midnight Door” by Miki Matsubara. There may be many people who imagine songs that are suitable for summer in city pop, but I want to actively select songs that match the feeling of the cold season in January. After all, I wonder if songs by Minako Yoshida and Tatsuro Yamashita are also essential.
N_ I will be celebrating my 10th anniversary next year, so I want to sing my own songs uniformly while mixing old and new. DJs think it would be nice if they could play their favorite reggae too. I want to play a variety of music that goes well with the night view.
_ On the cruise, it seems that you can see the sparkling Tokyo Tower right in front of you over Hamarikyu. Pass through the Rainbow Bridge and head to Takeshiba from sunrise. A night view cruise where you look sideways at the lights of Hamarikyu, go up the Sumida River and look at the Skytree, then turn back to Kachidoki Bridge, Eitai Bridge, and Kiyosu Bridge, then return back to Tokyo Bay. It seems like a great time to look back and look back at the city of Tokyo again.
C_I'm excited to be able to share that kind of time with all of you. I've always used to cruise from Asakusa to Hinode Pier as an iron plate date course. When I start aiming for about the evening, I start to see Tokyo Tower, and I really think, “Oh, I'm in the city.” Taeko Onuki's “City” is a perfect fit for such situations. Sometimes it's nice to go straight in and enjoy it, isn't it?
_ The city music competition “CITY MUSIC TOKYO” compiled by Mr. Takiguchi is also fun where you can meet geeky city pop.
C_Photographer Yasuyuki Takagi used photographs that cut out the streets of Tokyo for the artwork. I think there are people who have a sparkling image when it comes to city pop, but there is an intellectual city feeling in the grid scapes and artificial landscapes captured by Mr. Takagi. I think those elements are also included in the context of city pop as I interpret them.
_ Natsu Summer will be celebrating her 10th anniversary next year, so please tell us about your recent activities and future resolutions.
N_Starting with Hiroshi Fujiwara, Dub Master X, e-mura, JAGABE, and ICHIHASHI DUBWISE participated in the mixer for the dub mix album “NATSU DUB (NATSU DUB),” which was released this year. Originally, dub is my favorite genre, but I never thought I'd be able to release a dub-themed album, so I'm very happy and satisfied. This Tokyo Bay cruise tour can be said to be the start of activities in 2026, and I'm excited about the special feeling.
C_Natsu Summer has known and experienced various musicians over the past 10 years, so it's not the culmination, but I think it would be nice to gain even more momentum and do various things. I've also collaborated quite a bit with foreign musicians from France and the Netherlands. I hope we can continue to actively carry out such activities.
_ I hope this cruise will be the start of a new musical journey. If you are participating in the tour, be sure to check out their activities!
Cunimondo Takiguchi (Cunimondo Takiguchi)
After going through PR, apparel, record stores, and live houses, he started his musical career as a streamlining in 2001. The number of overseas fans is rapidly increasing due to the global trend of city pop revival in recent years. Participated by producing, providing, and arranging songs by Toko Furuuchi, 1331, Natsu Summer, etc. He is in charge of the drama companion for the NHK drama “Tario: Revenge of the Daredevil.” In 2024, the name was changed from Alpha Music to RYUSENKEI and the album “Illusion” was released. The compilation album “CITY MUSIC TOKYO” series, which selected and supervised city music from 2020, was released by various record companies. Also, as CMT Production, they are active in a wide range of activities, mainly music production, such as graphic design and branding. https://linktr.ee/cmtpro
Natsu Summer (Natsu Summer)
Born in Ehime, lives in Tokyo. I grew up listening to city pop and reggae since I was a child living by the sea. Produced by Knimond Takiguchi (RYUSENKEI), she debuted as a city pop reggae singer in 2016. 7 albums have been released. Lyricist Masayoshi Urano participated as guest vocals in works by DJEMMA and DJ SHIMOYAMA's unit N.U.D.E, DJ KAWASAKI, French bands Funkindustry, Five II Four, Tokimeki Records, Dutch bands KAGAMI, and DJ HASEBE. She has a reputation for her transparency and cool, natural singing voice, and is a pioneer of current city pop reggae singers. In 2025/9, a DUB MIX album was released in which Hiroshi Fujiwara, Dub Master X, etc. participated. Also, as a DJ, in addition to performing with Sunaga Tatsuo, Okino Shuya, Matsuura Toshio, MURO, DJ NORI, Kawabe Hiroshi, Tanaka Tomoyuki (FPM), Kubota Takeshi, etc., he is active in a wide range of scenes, such as appearing in a mix on “BBC Radio 6 Music” where Gilles Peterson is in charge of personality. https://linktr.ee/natsusummer
About applying for participation/Please apply from the link below.
The reception location is the in-house pier “Tennoz Yamatsu Pier” of Tokyo Bay cruising specialist “Zeal,” who will operate the boat for this tour. Good access from the airport, JR, Keikyu, and monorail stations is also a point.
5 minute walk from the south exit of Tennozu Isle Station on the Tokyo Monorail
5 minute walk from above ground level at Tennozu Isle Station on the Rinkai Line
8-minute walk from the north exit of Shinbanba Station on the Keikyu Line
About 20 minutes on foot from JR “Shinagawa Station” Konan exit, about 5 minutes by taxi
After checking in, I boarded the Siegfried. Before sailing, an orientation will be held on board about the concept and outline of this tour.
Tennozu Yamatsupia Pier → Shin-Tokai Bridge → Keihin Canal → Rainbow Bridge
→ sunrise → Takeshiba → Hamarikyu → Sumida River (turn back at Kachidoki Bridge → Eitai Bridge → Kiyosu Bridge)
Leaving Tennozu Yamatsu Pier, the ship slowly sailed to Tokyo Bay. Passing through the light of the Rainbow Bridge, from Hinode Pier to Takeshiba and Hamarikyu — it eventually enters the Sumida River and proceeds along the route to Kachidoki Bridge, Eitai Bridge, and Kiyosu Bridge. If you stand on the deck, the night view of Tokyo spreads out along with the smell of the wind. DJ play begins onboard the ship, and a comfortable time surrendering oneself to the music flows while being wrapped in faint, shaking light.
The drink is sponsored by Corona Beer! (Quantities are limited) Additionally, mulled wine, highballs, and oolong tea are also available. Furthermore, as a special guest, Nakanobu's popular taco shop “Miyoshiya” will pop up on board. Additionally, a menu perfect to accompany a cruise, such as clam chowder and snacks, is lined up. Enjoy the pairing of music, night view, and food on board a relaxed, swaying boat.
*This project is being carried out using the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Public Foundation) Tourism Promotion Grants for Nighttime, etc. (nighttime and early morning).”
Sponsors: Technics, Corona Beer
